Amelia Gilbert (The Rewrite)
by LivHardy
Summary: What would happen in Vampire diaries if Elena had an identical twin sister who falls for our favourite vampire, Damon Salvatore? How will she battle her feelings for a vampire who can't seem to stay away from her, but is in love with another woman? Takes place from Friday Night Bites. Damon/OC. Romance/Drama/Humour! Watch this OC as she comes across Vampires/Witches & Originals (;
1. Friday Night Bites part 1

**Hey, thanks for clicking!  
If you recognise the story, this is a re-write of my Vampire Diaries Fanfiction Amelia Gilbert. I wrote my first version when I was pretty young, but now I'm a little older and hopefully a better writer I wanted to go back and make some changes. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

 **If you would like to see some more stories from me, I have created a website for my original work!**

 **It's Liv Hardy dot com. Without the space between Liv and Hardy and a . instead of the word dot. Check it out, leave a comment letting me know what you think!**

* * *

 **Amelia Gilbert**

The Uber man purposely cleared his throat. I stopped what I was doing and peered up to find he was staring at me blankly through the rear view mirror. There was definitely more of a frown than a smile on his face. Even though it was just me in the Uber, I still looked around. "I am going to go...I'm just making sure I've got everything," I informed him.

It was a super snap decision to come home; I'd spent the entire journey ruffling through my stuff, certain that I had forgotten something.

"This was a long drive, most people tip," he replied. I raised my brows. Dammit, he must have seen my Uber payment already.

"Well most people don't ask for tips," I pointed out. "If they're given, they're given, if they're not you've just got to suck it up."

He blinked back at me. "It's the decent thing to do."

My remaining family squealed as they ran out the house and towards the Uber. They knocked on the car window repeatedly and waved. I held up the palm of my hand to them. I only texted them twenty minutes ago to reveal I was coming back home, for good. It was so out of the blue that they needed proof. So of course, I sent them a selfie with me and my luggage in the back of an Uber.

 **Jenna:** _I still don't believe you!_

Well now I was outside the house so she had no choice.

"The decent thing would have been to let me choose the music," I explained, hopefully providing this man tips for the future.

He scoffed. "You wanted to listen to Taylor Swift; I wasn't going to listen to that garbage."

"Wow." I gathered my belongings and reached for the door handle. "And that's precisely why you're not getting a tip. Good day to you, Sir." I opened the door and was immediately slammed against the Uber car window. "My back! My back!" I yelped out whilst I was being smothered with hugs from my twin and my aunt.

Usually my twin wasn't this nice to me so it was a breath of fresh air. I wondered how long it would last.

Any doubt I had about coming home began to melt away when I saw how happy they were. I'd been gone for just under a year, leaving soon after the death of my parents. I never wanted to live in this house without them, but it was time.

I was officially moving back to Mystic Falls.

"You little sneak!" Jenna squeezed me. "How long have you been planning this for?"

I literally decided this morning and I was more surprised than anyone. I was so sure I could never face Mystic Falls again.

My family - my remaining family - had taken it really hard when I told them I was leaving. Jeremy didn't speak to me for weeks. I had arranged everything myself so when I suddenly announced I was going to a boarding school two hours out of town, they didn't know what to think. No one did. They were just as surprised when I randomly announced I was coming back. I liked to keep people on their toes as you can see.

"I wanted to surprise you guys!" I laughed as I pulled back from the group hug. "Where's Jeremy?"

Asked and answered.

Oh dear Lord. It was like the Undertaker had just come out of my house.

Jeremy closed the front door behind him. He walked down the drive towards me. I looked him up and down, not knowing what I was quite seeing. "So it's true. Your back?" I was kind of a little too stunned by what I was seeing to answer. He gave me a hug but I didn't return it. I stared wide eyed at Jenna and Elena over his shoulder. They both smirked back at me. On Skype, I had only ever seen his face. He pulled back and gave me a weird look. "What?"

"Who is this?" I asked Jenna and Elena, jerking my thumb at Jeremy.

Let me give an example of why I was so confused. When I left, the day I announced it, Jeremy was wearing a Tay Swizzle t-shirt. Yeah. Big change.

"Oh ha ha." He rolled his eyes.

"What are you wearing?" I circled round him. The boy was all in black. "I feel depressed just looking at you." I leaned down and inspected his arm. In thick black marker, he had put 'you make it hard to smile cuz you make it hard to breathe.' They weren't Taylor Swift lyrics!

"Right, come here." I licked my thumb and began rubbing at it. I'd smudged most of it off before he had a chance to pull away.

"They're lyrics," he huffed.

"He's going through a phase." Elena grinned, rubbing up Jeremy's arm.

"Stop saying that," he mumbled, shaking his head. Wow, he looked like he'd been hard work for the past nine months.

"You and me are going shopping first thing tomorrow." I pointed at him. "We need to splash some colours on you."

"Yeah, no thanks. Peace." He began to walk down the road.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I called after him. He turned around. "Where do you think you're going, emo boy? I just got back!"

"I'm meeting someone."

"Well...what about my welcome back party?"

"Your what?" Jeremy squinted as the sun was directly behind me.

Ok I know it was last minute, but this could easily be organised.

"Um, well, Bonnie's coming round later," Elena piped up. Now that's more like it. "And someone else too..."

I was instantly suspicious. My twin was smiling, like really smiling. That meant there was a guy involved, but I'm sorry, if she wasn't dating my Matthew then I wasn't interested. There was no one quite like my best bud Matthew Donovan. He set the bar so high. I still hadn't fully forgiven Elena for breaking his heart. I'd already gotten used to the idea that he was going to be my brother in law one day.

"Is it Matt?" I asked her.

Elena looked at me flatly. "No, Mia, it's not Matt."

I stared at her thoughtfully. "...You should get back together with Matt."

"So you tell me, everyday."

"...He'd make a great father some day." Elena glared at me. "Fine, so who is it then?" I asked with a frown, crossing my arms under my chest. I missed Matt.

"Drum roll..." Jenna teased. "It's Logan. He's moved in and we're engaged!" Jenna grinned from ear to ear. Even hearing his name made me want to throw up. I knew Logan wasn't back because my brother would have had the house fumigated already.

"Need to brush up on those acting skills, Aunt Jenna," I said, picking up my bags. "So who am I really meeting? Is it Matt?" Elena groaned loudly. I'd never give up on Matt. We walked together into the house and the feeling that I never left crept over me. I could still see dad sitting in front of the TV watching the game and I could still see mum in the kitchen making dinner. I shook away these ghosts.

"His name is Stefan. He's new to Mystic Falls and... he's a really great guy," Elena said, tucking her hair behind her ear with a goofy smile. Elena was always happy with Matt, but she never swooned like that over him. This Stefan must be stopped. Now that I was back, I was going to wingwoman my main Matt so he could get Elena back. Being her twin, I knew her inside and out, he'd be back in this household in no time.

"He's very polite," Jenna added. "I think you'll like him, Mia."

"Maybe." Stefan was probably a great guy, but he was no Matthew. I couldn't wait to see that son of a gun.

"It's not just you he's got to win over. Bonnie isn't too keen on him so I thought this dinner would change that," Elena said and I raised a brow at her. Ok that was red flag number two. If your friends don't like him, that probably means he's no good. Red flag number one was obviously because he wasn't Matt.

"See, Bonnie's like me, we're both team Matt." I shrugged a shoulder.

"Ok, can we just take Matt out of the equation?" Elena said, slighted frustrated. "I get that you like Matt, but I just... don't. Not that way, not anymore." I crossed my arms and sighed heavily. This was a real inconvenience. "Just give Stefan a chance, please?"

"Yeah, fine. Whatever." He'll never be Matt. "I'm going to go unpack."

"I'll let you know when Bonnie is here," Elena called after me as I headed up the stairs.

Yeah, I didn't unpack. I napped. I was exhausted after spending an Uber ride being forced to listen to this guy's band that he managed. When the only feedback I could give was that it didn't sound anything like Taylor Swift, the man began to get sassy with me.

It was really strange being back, I almost felt like I didn't belong here anymore. I wanted to shake this feeling because I knew I couldn't leave my family again. Just by looking at my brother I could tell he needed us all together.

"Oh Bonnie!" I flew down the stairs when I heard her voice. "My friend! I've missed you!"

"I can't believe you're here. You kept that quiet!" She caught me in a hug and laughed. I couldn't tell them it was decided just this morning because then they would ask me why. I couldn't tell them why because I didn't know. The idea popped into my head and it consumed me. The next thing I knew, I was packing a bag and ordering an Uber.

"I'll get you a drink," Elena told her and headed into the kitchen.

"I'll take a diet soda, Lena," I called after her.

"You can get your own," she yelled back.

And the niceness lasted... let me take a look at my watch... a total of three hours. A world record. Just for that I was going to be double judgemental of Stefan.

I looked over my shoulder and waited for Elena to be out of the room. "So, I hear you're not too keen on the new boyfriend." I pulled out a chair, scrapping it across the floor, wanting all the gossip.

"Elena told you, huh?" Bonnie replied uncomfortably, lowering herself down onto the couch opposite me.

"I understand. After Matthew being the last-"

"It's not about Matt, Mia...It's hard to explain."

"You could try?" Elena wasn't stupid by all means. She always had reasonable type in men and never let herself be messed around with. I couldn't imagine her going for the wrong sort of guy. That was more my style.

"I just…." Bonnie paused and checked to see if Elena was still out of earshot. "I just got this really bad feeling when I touched him."

I waited for her to say something else.

Anything really. I was looking for an excuse not to like Stefan. The second this Stefan made a mistake, I was going to be right there to say 'Matt would never have done that.'

But Bonnie didn't say anything else.

"Is that... is that it?"

"I know it sounds stupid, but you didn't feel what I felt!" Useless! I couldn't convince Elena to get back with Matt on a feeling! "You know with what my grams is telling me and all these weird things are happening, I don't know what is going on." She sighed when it was clear I wasn't taking her seriously. "I want to like him, I really do, and he makes Elena happy so I am hoping that I will feel differently by tonight."

"I'm normally a good judge of character." I said and she scoffed. I fanned my hand out. "Um, excuse me, what was that for?"

"You dated Tyler Lockwood…" She pointed out.

"And? It's not my fault he became a total ass when we broke up."

"It kind of is…"

"Whose side are you on?" Bonnie smiled and rolled her eyes. "When is Stefan getting here?" Upon saying that, there was a knock at the door. A really polite knock at that. Matt's replacement had arrived. "I'll just go and see who that is, shall I?"

"Be nice!" Elena called out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah." I pushed up from my chair and moved to the front door. I looked through the peep hole, but he was facing away from the door. I undid the chain and opened the door up.

Ok, not bad, not bad at all. Physically - couldn't fault the man. He was a stud. His dirty blonde hair flicked up and curled back. His dark brows really made his small eyes pop.

"Hello…" He began and I waited for him to say my sister's name, but he smiled.

"Amelia," he finished.

I clapped my hands. Not many people could tear us apart when they first met us, but one trick was the way we wore our hair. As we grew older, whilst Elena's hair grew out straight, mine became naturally curly. "Wizard!" I accused.

He laughed. "It's nice to finally meet you." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Stefan Salvatore."

"Amelia…" I took his hand and I didn't know what Bonnie was on about, I didn't get bad vibe at all. In fact, what a nice firm hand shake he had. Matt's puppy dog face appeared in the back of my mind so I quickly took my hand away. "Come in," I said and opened the door wider.

"Are you enjoying being back?" Stefan asked me as he wiped his feet on the door mat. He wipes his feet - what teenager does that? How impressive! What a nice young man!

Ok, am I really turning against Matt just because Stefan wiped his feet before he came in? I can't be that easily bought, surely?

"Yeah, I mean, it's a little weird, but it shouldn't take me long to settle." I didn't like awkward silences so I kept going. "I came back and found my brother has become an emo...goth, I don't know what he is, but I'm back now and ready to steer him back on track. Can I get you a hot beverage, Stefan?"

I felt like I was cheating on Matt by asking Stefan that.

Stefan complimented my hot beverage, he asked me about boarding school, he was...and I hated to admit it, an absolute delight. That's the only way I could describe him. I could feel my anti any boyfriend that wasn't Matt barrier melting away.

Soon we were all sat at the dinner table and to say it was awkward, was an understatement. No one was talking and all you could hear was our cutlery scraping against the plates. I sent Elena a look to get the conversation started. Another second of this silence and I think I might go insane. I wasn't joking when I said I hated awkward silences.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena asked Stefan.

I dropped my cutlery. "Tanner? Oh God sake, I forgot all about that man. I am not looking forward to facing him again."

"I take it you're not his biggest fan either?" Stefan asked me with a small smile on his face.

"I fell asleep in his lesson _once_ ," I held up my finger. "Once, and he's had it in for me ever since," I replied, shaking my head. "That and Jenna turning him down for a date didn't help." I asked her to go on one date to help improve my history grade. Would she take one for the team? No. Selfish.

Tanner was going to be so thrilled with my return. I'll have to bring him an apple. To choke on. Nah, I'm kidding. Well, half kidding.

"He let me on the team, so…I must have done something right," Stefan said and Elena smiled widely at him.

"Bonnie, you should've seen Stefan today." Elena giggled as she finished her mouthful. "Tyler threw a ball right at him and-"

"Yeah I heard." Bonnie cut her off.

And back to the awkward silence.

Although I had only been in Stefan's presence for half an hour, but...I liked him. Obviously I wouldn't tell Matt this. Stefan had a kind face, and I didn't get the bad vibe that Bonnie was getting off of him. In fact, I was getting pretty good vibes from Stefan. He seemed good for Elena, he made her happy and he made her nice. That was very important.

"I haven't heard it, why did Tyler throw a ball at you?" I asked Stefan. Another person I wasn't particularly looking forward to running into was my ex. I was sure when he threw the ball at Stefan, he was picturing my face.

"I don't know." Stefan considered this and shrugged. "Just the perks of being the new kid, I guess."

"He threw it right back at Tyler and it knocked the wind out of him," Elena said, gushingly. She looked over at Bonnie who faked a smile. "Why don't you tell Stefan about your family, Bonnie?" Elena prompted. At least I was making an effort with Stefan, I mean, c'mon Bonnie.

"Erm, divorced, no mom, live with my dad," Bonnie replied simply, lifting one shoulder then letting it drop.

"No…about the witches," Elena said sounding slightly annoyed.

Bonnie, at first tried to close down the conversation, but Stefan was able to get her talking. He seemed particularly impressed when she told him that her family were the Salem witches.

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity," he told her. Oh the man's good.

"Yeah they are." Bonnie smiled proudly. And at last there was a breakthrough.

I glanced up at Elena when I heard the doorbell. "Are we expecting more guests?" I asked Elena. My surprise party!

"No," she replied, looking in the direction of the door and then checking her watch. "I wonder who that could be."

"I'll get it."

It was totally my welcome back party.

I practised my surprise face in the mirror before I opened the door, expecting to see a whole bunch of people.

I saw Caroline.

And a man standing behind her. He looked to be a couple of years older than us. His hair was jet black and his dark brows reminded me of Stefan's. Unlike Jeremy, this man was able to style out being dressed all in black. He was quite... handsome.

"Surprise!" Caroline was able to pull my attention off him by shoving some cake into my arms. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner so I brought dessert."

"Hope you don't mind," the guy spoke from behind her and smiled at me.

I flicked my gaze to the man standing behind Caroline once more. I couldn't help but tilt my head and get captivated by his eyes. They were the most amazing colour of blue that I had ever seen. It felt like they were pulling me towards him. I quickly composed myself because by the look on this guy's face he was used to women falling all over him, besides, he was probably Caroline's boyfriend.

"Oh my god…" I looked back at Caroline. "Amelia?" she asked me with wide eyes. The guy's facial expression changed and he now looked confused instead of smug.

"Uh, yeah, surprise." I was a little thrown by how this guy was looking at me that I almost stumbled backwards when Caroline threw herself at me.

"Are you back for good?" she asked me, mid squeeze. My head was now over her shoulder, looking directly at this guy. There was something really unnerving about him. So why couldn't I look away?

"Looks like it."

"How about you introduce me?" The guy placed his hand on my doorway and waited patiently on the porch.

"Oh! Right! Amelia, this is my boyfriend Damon, Damon this is Elena's twin sister." Caroline flickered her hand between us.

"Hi." I lifted my hand.

"Twins, huh?"

I smiled out of politeness but I didn't understand why he had to say it like that.

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"Damon." I turned around to see Stefan staring intently at Damon. Ah, so the boys knew each other. Whilst I had received nothing but friendly vibes from Stefan, it was clear whoever Damon was, Stefan didn't like him very much.

I felt like I was missing some very important information.

Caroline leaned towards me. "They're brothers," she whispered.

Ah, there we go.

Elena joined us by the door and raised her brows seeing Damon and Caroline here. "Hi...?" Something tells me these two weren't invited.

"Hi!" Caroline ripped the desserts from my hands and handed the plate to Elena. "Got room for two more?"

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked Damon, sounding so confused by his brother's arrival, like this was the last place he would put him.

"Waiting for Elena or Amelia to invite me in," Damon replied, sending a charming smile my way, a very untrusting smile, like he was trying to sell me something he knew wouldn't work.

"Yeah, you can-"

"No, no," Stefan stopped Elena before she could finish. "He can't erm, he can't stay, can you Damon?"

I peered up at Damon, watching as he held Stefan's gaze. He then glanced down at me. I quickly looked away.

"Get in here," Caroline piped up, scoffing.

"We're just finishing up." Stefan said, shooting a desperate look to Elena which she obviously wasn't getting.

"It's fine." She brushed it off. "Just come on in." She opened the door wider for Damon. He slid in, brushing against me in the process, smirking at Stefan as he did so. Whoa, what the hell was that, man!

I raised a brow and looked up at him. He may be hot, but I did not give him an invitation to do that. His hand came and rested on my waist as he moved past me.

He was the kind of guy you'd hope your new neighbour would look like.

"You have a beautiful home." Damon commented, looking between Elena and me. His gaze lingered on the top of my head before it darkly snapped over at Stefan.

What was going on between these two? And how were the other three ladies here completely missing this?

"Thank you," Elena replied and took the cake into the living room. Caroline followed her and Stefan hesitantly did too. I waited for Damon to go, but he just stood there.

"Ladies first," he offered, fanning his hand out.

I looked at him uneasily. There was something odd about him.

Damon reached above me and held the door open. I walked underneath his arm, glancing up at him in the process. His eyes were firmly on me and I couldn't look away.

"Amelia." I turned my head to see Stefan. "Are you ok?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I replied, shaking Damon off.

I quickly walked in and sat down on the armchair, a little embarrassed after my stare off with Damon, but there was just something about him. Great, now he's sitting opposite me with Caroline. I tried not to make eye contact with him, but I could feel him looking at me so I looked. He sent me that smirk again. Was it stapled to his face? Jeez.

I was listening in and out of the conversation. I felt unable to join in because they were talking about someone called Katherine, who apparently died. Although by my twin's face, she didn't know that this Katherine person had died. Oh, someone just dropped the bomb that Katherine was Stefan's ex girlfriend.

I felt like I suddenly had an angel and devil Matt on either side of my shoulder. Angel Matt was telling me that Stefan was obviously a cool guy who probably had nothing to do with his ex-girlfriend's death. Devil Matt was telling me to use this information to get Stefan kicked to the curb and bring back Matt.

"I cannot believe Mr Tanner put you on the team, Tyler must be seething," Caroline said like she got a kick out of Tyler's pain. Out of our old friendship group, Caroline and Tyler were the least close. Whilst we all used to hang out together, those two never spoke outside the group. Tyler would tell me how annoying he found Caroline and Caroline would tell me what an ass she thought Tyler was. "But good for you and go for it!"

"That's what I always tell him, you have to engage, you can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you, you have to go get it." Damon leaned forward and picked up his wine, he swirled it around his glass before taking a sip. I couldn't tell whether he was being serious or just trying to mock Caroline. It just sounded so patronising.

"Yeah Elena wasn't so lucky today, but it's only because you missed summer camp." Caroline said. I sniggered at Elena who looked a little irritated by Caroline's comment, but then karma hit me and I was put into the firing line. "And Mia, I don't know how you're ever going to catch up with the routines."

"Ah well, guess I'll just have to quit the team." It came out a little more jokily than I intended, I really was planning to quit the team.

I looked up and once again caught Damon looking at me.

Weirdo.

"I'll work with them," Bonnie offered, but Caroline was off on one.

"I guess we can put them at the back…" Caroline muttered to herself, her eyes circling the ceiling.

"Or I could quit," I repeated and again it came like I was joking! I was deadly serious! I didn't want to do it anymore! I didn't want to be in the back. I didn't even want to be in the front.

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena," Damon observed. Oh so apparently I did. I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

"Oh, it's just 'cause her parents died," Caroline said offhandedly and I almost choked on my coffee. "Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun."

I was brushing my fingers across my neck, trying to get Caroline to stop. You know what? I didn't take offence to Caroline, because she never really meant to be rude, it always just came out that way and that's why a lot of people didn't like her. Most of the time I found her foot in mouth syndrome funny.

Caroline finally noticed my cut off gesture.

"And I say that with complete sensitivity..." she quickly backtracked.

"Re-fill anyone?" I hopped up. I gathered up all the dessert plates and moved to the kitchen where I started putting them into the dishwasher. I was bending over when my phone in my back pocket vibrated.

 **Jenna** : _Is it safe to come downstairs yet?_

Jenna had texted me from upstairs.

 **Mia:** _Nope, still a lot of rowdy teenagers in your living room._

 **Jenna:** _Would it be uncool if I joined you? I'm so bored up here._

 **Mia:** _It would be super uncool, Jenna. We'd be become the social outcasts because of it._

 **Jenna:** _Oh haha. You know I hung round with the popular kids when I was in school._

 **Mia:** _Sure you did, Aunt Jenna._

 **Jenna:** _I did! Because I was dating the coolest kid in the school - Logan Fell._

 **Mia:** _Ok, now I know you're lying. Logan? Cool? At least make it believable._

 **Jenna:** _So what are your thoughts on Stefan?_

 **Mia:** _Oh, you know... he's fine._

 **Jenna:** _Just fine?_

 **Mia:** _Yeah._

 **Jenna:** _You approve! Don't you!_

 **Mia:** _..._

 **Mia:** _I..._

 **Mia:** _I..._

 **Mia:** _Oh my God, he's like the coolest guy I've ever met. Matt doesn't stand a chance!_

God damn, Stefan. Why do you have to be so cool?

I turned around to get another plate when suddenly Damon was right in front of me. I hadn't even heard him come in; I almost fell in the dishwasher if Damon hadn't of placed his hand on my lower back and pulled me against him.

"Sorry, I brought you this." He held up a glass, I went to take it from him, but it slipped out of my hands. My reactions are terrible and instead of kicking into action, I closed my eyes and waited to hear the sound of it smashing, but it didn't come. I opened an eye to see Damon had caught it.

I see. Another wizard! I laughed at my own joke, I'm so funny.

He smirked and leaned back. "I like you, you know how to laugh." I just nodded awkwardly at him and continued loading the dishwasher. Damon stayed where he was when I was expecting him to return to the living room. "Where have you been?"

"Huh?" I asked him, glancing over my shoulder.

"Caroline said you went somewhere." He'd lost the black leather jacket and was wearing a three quarter length black jumper and it clung to him, really well. I made sure I didn't stare for too long.

"I did," I said, "boarding school." I closed the dishwasher and leaned against the counter to face him.

"Why did you come back?" Why did he want to know?

"Missed home, I guess," I replied, holding on tightly to the counter. He made me feel uneasy, but I had a feeling he was aware of that. "What about you? I hear you've only just come into town," I said flippantly, like I didn't care whether he told me or not.

"Couldn't miss Stefan's first day of school." He went and looked in our fridge which I thought was weird. Make yourself at home, why don't you.

"So you and Stefan are close then?" I asked. He moved towards me. I forced myself not to edge away. He landed next to me and opened up a side cupboard to pull a glass out.

"Our parents died, I'm all he has." He rolled it in his hand.

"Oh." I suddenly felt guilty for judging him all this time. I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. That must be hard, at least we still had Aunt Jenna. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Damon's face faltered a little. His brows pulled together as he watched me. "Don't be. Something tells me you understand." He offered me a small smile.

I tucked a loose curl behind me ear. So I guess he knew about my parents.

I wanted to get off this topic. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Ask away, Amelia."

"That girl that got brought up earlier, Katherine, how did she die? If you don't mind me asking." Devil Matt was cheering me on.

"A Fire," he responded, a flicker of what resembled pain flashed across his face, but he was quick to mask it.

"Was it recent?"

"Seems like it was yesterday." he replied, looking away from me.

"What was she like?"

He glanced my way, but his eyes didn't show me anything anymore.

"She was beautiful, a lot like you in that department." I rolled my eyes so much that they almost rolled right out of my head. He smirked at my reaction. I'm sure he hit Caroline hard with that one. I wasn't so easy to impress. I then thought about Stefan wiping his feet before he came in and realised that probably wasn't true. "She was also very complicated, selfish, at times not very kind, but sexy and seductive."

Aha. I think I've figured something out here. I stepped forward which he took as an invitation to step closer to me too. "You both dated her, didn't you?" I asked him and from the look on his face, I was right.

"Ask Stefan, although his answer will probably be different than mine."

"I'm asking you." I replied coolly.

He studied my face. I suddenly wasn't feeling so brave standing this close to him anymore. I tried to back away, but his hand pulled at mine, bringing back to hm. "I think it's my turn to ask the questions."

"Well maybe I don't want to answer them." I replied, pulling at my hand. Why was he holding my hand? What a weird dude.

"Ah, c'mon, I answered yours."

"And I answered yours on why I came back, we're even."

"I've got a lot of questions, Amelia," he leant towards me, his eyes widened, I felt compelled to look into them. "And you'll answer all of them." he told me sternly.

Ha, no I won't.

"What do you want to know?" I found myself asking. What? No, we're not telling him anything!

"Are you back here for good?"

"Yes." What the hell was this? That just fell out of my mouth.

"How come you left?"

"My parents died, I couldn't cope with being in this house. I felt trapped, haunted, and alone." I revealed. Shut your damn mouth woman!

He then nodded and it seemed like it was the end of his questions when suddenly that smirk was placed back on his face.

"Do you think I'm hot?"

Excuse me?!

I felt the word 'Yes' about to spring out of mouth even though I was screaming at myself to say no.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Stefan was in the doorway looking between us. "Are you compelling her?" Compelling me? Please, he's not that charming.

"Stay still, relax and keep that beautiful mouth shut," Damon ordered me, moving my hair behind my ear. "This won't take a sec."

He's not the boss of me! I went to tell him this but my mouth wouldn't open.

"I'll let you keep your little cheerleader. I like this one." Damon's hand smoothed down my arms, smirking in Stefan's direction. I wanted to scoff, but I couldn't. Who does this guy think he is?

"They are people, Damon. She's not a puppet. She doesn't exist for your amusement, for you to feed on whenever you want to," Stefan snapped at him, shutting the door behind him.

"Sure she does." Damon continued running his fingers through my curls. "She's whatever I want her to be. She's mine for the taking."

He better not be talking about me. I felt like I should be panicking but I wasn't. I felt... relaxed.

"All right, you've had your fun. You used Caroline, you got to meet Amelia, good for you." Stefan tugged me gently backwards away from Damon. "Now it's time for you to go."

Damon watched Stefan pull me back and frowned. "That's not a problem, because I've been invited in." Damon stepped towards me but Stefan blocked any further attempt to get any closer. "And I'll come back tomorrow night and the following night and I'll do with my little cheerleader whatever I want to do. Because that is what is normal to me." Damon patted Stefan's back and moved round him. "I'll see you very soon, cutie," he drawled at me, placing his hands on either side of my face. "Forget this chit chat, hm?"

"What?" I shook my head, not quite processing what Damon had just said.

"I said, I would quit cheerleading if I were you," Damon repeated, taking a step back from me.

"I already tried, in there." I nodded to the living room.

"It sounded like you were joking."

I sighed. "It did, didn't it?" I glanced over at Stefan who was staring at me. "Oh hi, Stefan, I didn't see you come in." Was I deaf or something?

"Are you ready to go?" Caroline swung round the door to ask Damon.

"I'm quitting cheerleading!" I blurted out.

Caroline laughed and wrapped herself around Damon's arm. "Oh Amelia, you're so funny." Ok, I realised this was going to take her awhile to get. "I'm tired, let's go."

I followed them out into the hallway and held the door open. As Damon went to follow Caroline out the door, he stopped in front of me. "Thank you for your hospitality, Amelia."

"Um, yeah, sure, you're welcome." I looked down and then to the side, but Damon didn't move.

Damon lifted my chin. "Keep your window unlocked tonight."

"Are we going?" Caroline huffed out from outside.

"See you soon, Amelia." He winked and followed his girlfriend to his car.

 **If you're interested in seeing more of my re-write, please leave a review! I love reading them!**

 **LivHardy x**


	2. Friday Night Bites part 2

**Amelia Gilbert**

"Stop looking at me."

I stared at Jeremy open mouthed the entire way from when he entered the kitchen to the back door, taking in his interesting choice of clothing ensemble - a black leather trench coat.

He shook his head, mumbled an insult about my intelligence, and left.

"What was that?" I swung back round on my stool to face Aunt Jenna, but I ended up facing the back door again. I cleared my throat and kicked myself round with a little less force this time. I was hoping Jenna hadn't noticed.

"Smooth." Jenna grinned when I returned to facing her.

"I meant to do that," I said, matter of fact. Obviously. "Can you tell me what's going on here? He never used to dress like that."

"I know. I caught him wearing a clip in nose ring the other day too." Jenna put on the kettle and then rested her forearms on the counter opposite me. "I think he has a new group of friends at school and this is where it's all coming from."

"What's next? Eyeliner?!"

Suddenly the back door opened back up. Jenna and I fell instantly quiet as Jeremy walked back in. He bent down beside me to pick up his backpack. When he straightened up, he looked between Jenna and I.

"What?" Jeremy barked.

For a moment, neither Jenna or me answered him, but Jeremy didn't budge. He continued leering at us. As you know, I don't like awkward silences so...

"I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, make sure nobody hurt-" I sung sweetly. Jeremy rolled his eyes, stormed out and slammed the door behind him. "Um, what?" I turned to Jenna. "I was completely in tune, right?"

She patted my arm. "It's a really hard song to sing."

I'll have to get Stefan's opinion.

The kettle clicked and Jenna grabbed two mugs and filled them "God, I've missed Coffee Talk." Jenna didn't have many age appropriate friends since she moved back to Mystic Falls to become our Guardian. That was almost a year ago so I was surprised her situation hadn't improved.

"I thought Elena was going to do it with you," I replied, blowing on my coffee.

"We tried, but it didn't stick." Jenna shrugged one shoulder. "This may surprise you but my other niece and nephew don't actually like hanging out with me."

I thought about it and shrugged back. "That doesn't surprise me."

"What?"

"I said that surprises me." I cleared my throat. "Anyway, what piece of gossip do you have for me today?"

"Honestly, I think you should be the one answering that."

I paused on my sip.

"You didn't give anything away whilst you were at boarding school. It's like you had this secret life."

"Wasn't much to tell," I lied.

"And, I couldn't help but notice you were suspiciously quiet this morning." She clasped her hands together and raised her brows at me in a very concerned aunt way. I cringed, really not wanting to talk about it. "Something up? I know we're out of practise, but think of me as your friend, not your Aunt." That old chestnut.

Well, let's see.

I had a rough sex dream about my best friend's boyfriend. That may have something to do with it.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong," I dismissed, tapping my nails nervously against the counter. I stopped when my Aunt's gaze flickered down to my hand. There are lots of things I could tell my Aunt, that wasn't one of them. "What about you? Something up with you?" I quickly deflected. "Think of me as a friend, not your niece." She threw me a look.

I just... I didn't know what happened. One second I was dreaming about me and Matt going on the MTV show Catfish and getting to meet Max and Nev and then suddenly Damon, of all people showed up and we... well we... Oh god, I was a terrible person. No one could ever know. I was shocked by my imagination.

"Now that you mention it," Jenna sighed. I put my coffee straight down and gave her my full attention. "I've been thinking a lot lately about...Logan."

I squeezed my lips together and blinked at her, judgingly.

"About how glad you are he's out of your life, right?" I asserted, deadpan.

Jenna stretched her mouth awkwardly to the side. "Actually about how I kind of miss him..."

Why would anyone in their right mind miss Logan? Maybe I should send Jenna in for an MRI to see what's wrong with her.

"What do you miss, Jenna? Tell me. Is it the bad smell? The manipulation? The cheating?" I fanned my hand out. "I'm intrigued."

"It wasn't all bad you know," Jenna replied defensively. "Logan had a lot of good qualities." I literally could not think of a single one. "He's handsome..."

"He's not."

"He's funny..."

"Looking," I finished.

"You're just bitter because he wouldn't donate to yours and Jeremy's trampoline fund," Jenna pointed out and leaned across the counter at me. "Mia, you were eight, let it go."

Pft. I would never.

"Doesn't that show you what kind of man he is? The fact that he wouldn't indulge your sweet little niece?" I ran away crying for God sake. That was a red flag right there! My dad didn't like him from that point on, but my mom always said to leave it, that Jenna was happy. UNTIL LOGAN CHEATED ON HER. I chased him out the house with a bat. No seriously, this happened. I may have been drunk, but it still counts.

Logan was Jenna's high school sweetheart. It was disgusting. Every now and then he fluttered back into her life, pulled it apart and then went on his merry way again. Not this time. I'd like to see him try and get passed me and my bat.

"You need to find yourself a new man," I decided, clicking my fingers.

"Like your History teacher?" Jenna stirred her coffee and smirked.

"Ew, no, don't make me sick." I held up a hand. On parents evening, one year when my parents couldn't make it, Jenna stepped in. Tanner actually licked his lips when he saw her approaching. Bleeehhhh. I think I'd prefer Logan to Mr Tanner and that's saying something. He went from preparing a speech on what a mess of a student I was to actually calling me a delight to Jenna. "Just leave it with me, Jenna; I'll draw up a list of bachelors for you."

"I'm getting my niece to help me find a man. How desperate is that?" Jenna rolled her head back. She sighed defeatedly. "He's got to be hot and funny."

"Duh." I finished up my coffee and swung my bag over my shoulder. "Sorry to cut the Coffee Talk short but I've got to go."

"Where are you going?" Jenna asked me as I freed my hair from my jacket.

"Oh only to make Matthew's day, nay, year," I said confidently. I grabbed the keys from off the side. "I'll present you with my bachelor findings by the end of the week."

"Ok," Jenna replied. I almost got to the door. "And Mia!" she called out, I turned around. "Not Matt," she said sternly.

But why though?

"He's really mature for his age," I insisted. "Elena never had any complaints about his love making skills."

"No," she replied adamantly. "Find someone else."

I looked at her like I didn't understand her at all. "But Jenna, somebody has to marry Matt into this family!"

Meh. I was still going to put Matt on the list.

I made it to the Mystic Grill and looked around for Matt. When I couldn't see him, I decided to go grab us some seats.

As I was walking, I ran into someone in that super awkward way that you both step to the same side to get passed each other. We then did it again the other way. The third time I was sure this guy was doing it on purpose.

"Oh hey you." My eyes widened at that voice. The last time I heard it was in my dream telling me that I, and I quote was a 'naughty girl.' I actually outwardly shuddered just thinking about it.

What was wrong with me?

I suppressed a groan. Why did I dream about him? I never have naughty dreams! He was in a dark grey v-neck this time with no jacket... I was not kidding, this was the same thing he wore in my dream! Before he took it off... oh God! Why! Maybe I'm psychic... no! I would never do that to Caroline!

"Damon," I greeted finally, mustering up a small smile, but I was pretty sure I looked like I was in physical pain. I didn't miss at least five different women looking over in our direction. I tangled my hands together in front of me. "Hi."

"I didn't expect to see you so soon." I nodded awkwardly. "Can I buy you a drink?" His mouth tugged up into this side smile that I was sure was what won Caroline over.

I inhaled. "No thanks, I'm meeting someone." I forced another smile and tried to bypass him, but he stepped in my way so I practically face planted his chest.

"So I had a really good time last night. Maybe we should double again sometime."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You mean, with Caroline, right?"

He leaned his forearm casually on the bar beside us. "Isn't that what I said?" he drawled.

No.

I stared at him for a couple of seconds as he gave me that charming smile that he probably threw around way too often. He was giving me some serious flirtatious vibes. Flirting with the best friend? What an idiot.

Right, time to give him a little dose of reality.

"Listen, Damon," I began and he mocked crossed his arms over his chest and bent to my level. I did not appreciate it. My face dropped. "You better not be taking Caroline for a ride."

"You're looking out for your friend." He stopped to think about this. "That's sweet." He smiled again. That damn smile.

"I may look sweet, but when someone hurts my friend..." I said firmly. "Well, just ask Logan Fell," I added with a very bitchy tone.

Damon cocked his head. "Who's that?"

"Ex-act-ly."

Damn, I would feel so threatened right now if I was him. I really do the 'if you hurt my friend' speech justice. Although it didn't work on Elena with Matt... maybe I should have my bat with me in future when I say it.

Damon squinted those beautiful blue eyes at me seductively. No, not seductively! Or beautiful! Nope, there was nothing seductive about Damon. "Noted," he said down at me.

"Good. Goodbye, Damon," I said very formally. This time Damon didn't get in my way. I already got that feeling that he wasn't good for Caroline, but I also knew Caroline and if I said this to her, she would just cling onto him tighter. I glanced over my shoulder once and he was still watching me, I snapped my head back to facing forward and never looked back again.

I found my main man Matt playing snooker. The crafty devil had somehow gotten passed me. When he spotted me, I began fanning myself.

"Matthew? Is that you?" I cried out, borderline hysterical. He shook his head as I lovingly glided over to him with my arms outstretched. So I liked to embarrass Matt, who doesn't?! "Oh how I've missed you!" Just as I was about a metre away from him, about to put him in the cuddle zone, Matt put the tip of his cue stick on my shoulder and kept me at this length away from him. "Matthew, it's me, your bud Mia?"

"I've been getting good vibes from the girl at the bar," Matt said clearly. I glanced over and found a brunette, subtly glancing over her shoulder at us. "I don't need you ruining that."

I respected that.

Not!

I yanked on Matt's cue stick, pulling him into me and then I threw myself at him in the tightest hug that I could muster. Matt gave my back one pat before holding his hands up.

"Ok, get off me now," he said and when I didn't, he had to start pushing my shoulders.

In Matt's defence, we literally saw each other two weeks ago.

He sighed down at me, but then smiled. "I've missed you."

"Awww, Mattnew," I gushed. "Really?"

"No." My face dropped. "Here." Matt laughed and handed me a cue stick. "Make me look good."

"No problemo!" I bent over the table. "Bam!" I hit the white ball with my cue stick with such a force that every single ball went in. Well, it didn't, but that's what I'm going to tell Stefan later so he thinks I'm cool.

"What was that?" Matt scoffed, his voice going high. "How did you manage to miss every single ball?"

"I think the table might be faulty or something." I checked underneath it.

"You're such an idiot." Matt laughed.

Matt and I played and despite the fact that I still had six balls on the table whilst Matt only had two left, he accidentally hit the black ball in with the white.

"WINNER!" I jumped for joy. "Oh yeah, oh yeah!" I began my 'in your face' dance. "Oh yeah, who's the winner? That's right, it's Mia! Ooo, ooo!"

"How does that happen?" Matt exclaimed. I began doing the running man. Matt hit me with his cue stick. "Rematch!"

"Nah, I've retired." I slumped down in the booth next to the snooker table. "Might as well go out on a high, right, Matthew? I'll have a diet Pepsi, please." I asked the waiter. "On this loser's tab."

"I don't accept that, get up." Matt hooked a hand under my arm and tried pulling me up.

"Ow my wrist." I flopped my wrist. "I've got a snooker related injury, I can't play."

"That's bull."

This went on for about five minutes. Matt said I was faking it, I said he had no proof, he said my bad acting skills was proof enough, I told him that would never stand up in court. Eventually he sat opposite me and sighed.

"God, all that winning made me so thirsty," I exaggerated.

"Alright, Mia." Matt looked at me flatly.

Hehehehe.

I took a sip of my coke with a giant grin. I was never going to play snooker with Matt again.

"So... I heard you met Stefan last night," Matt said and I choked on my drink. I was hoping to skirt around the topic of how cool Stefan was, but ok.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I answered him nonchalantly.

"Well?" Matt prompted. "What did you think of him?"

"Oh, well, you know..." I looked around, trying not make eye contact. "He was... you know how it is. Yeah, it was, yeah." When I looked back at Matt, he was squinting at me. "What?"

"You liked him, didn't you?"

"What? No!" He continued staring at me.

"I didn't!" He poked his tongue into his cheek.

"Matt, I'm telling you, I really didn't."

His eyes turned to slit.

"OK, I did! What do you want me to say, Matt? That he was the coolest guy in the world, because he was!" I broke down. Matt instantly started shaking his head. "I'm only human, Matthew! I am only human!" I pounded my fist on the table.

"What happened to 'I'm going to hate all Elena's future boyfriends, every last one of them,' Matt mocked me, putting on a really high voice that didn't sound anything like me.

I slumped back and mumbled something about that not sounding like something I would say when my eyes were drawn to someone. That someone was my ex boyfriend.

Tyler Lockwood.

I put the menu beside my face and began sliding down my chair.

Awkcity.

He was so angry the last time we spoke and it had been hard going from talking every day to nothing for the last nine months. I still wanted him in my life, but he made it pretty clear he didn't want that as just my friend. He also called me something questionable things that I wasn't quite over.

He hadn't seen Matt or me yet. I wasn't ready to face him so I was glad for that. Although he was looking good in his light grey three quarter length shirt.

I watched as he walked confidently behind Vicki, Matt's sister and groped her. His hand dropped just as Matt turned to look at what my eyes widened at.

"It's not serious," Matt told me, turning back around. "I think Vick wants it to be, but she's also got a soft spot for Jeremy."

"Jeremy? Jeremy who?"

Matt raised his brows. "Gilbert."

"That's funny. There's another Jeremy Gilbert in town?" I questioned.

"Just the one," Matt replied.

"Since when?" I exclaimed. Why had this piece of gossip escaped me?

"They spent a lot of time together this summer."

It was all beginning to make sense. "So that's why he suddenly thinks Taylor Swift is lame!" I pieced together.

"Taylor Swift is lame." I shook my head, unable to believe this - Vicki and Jeremy? And Matt not a Swifty? "If you want proof, your brother is over there pining for her." Matt flicked his chin forward.

I hooked an arm over my chair and turned around.

And there Jeremy was. Leaning against the wall with a drink, staring off sadly in Vicki's direction. It was so obviously I couldn't believe I had missed it. The clip in nose ring, the trench coat, Jeremy was trying to mould himself into Vicki's type. Well, God damn. Detective Mia.

Vicki has never been particularly fond of Elena or me. She didn't like Elena because she thought she was too preppy when she went out with Matt, and then despised her when Elena broke up with him. She didn't like me because she's never liked how close I was with Matt. It didn't help when she overheard me telling Matt that I was like the sister he never had. Yeah.

Jeremy was completely oblivious to my staring at him and pushed off the wall. He marched determinedly in Vicki's direction where he met Tyler half way, their shoulders shoved into one another's. It seemed like it was driven entirely by Tyler. What the hell? He may be behaving like a little hellion lately but he was still my little brother!

"Oh o," I let out, keeping a firm eye on the situation.

"Alright, I get it, hit me to impress her, that's, that's real nice," Jeremy snapped, his gaze flickering to Vicki like he hoped she would step in and side with him.

One look exchanged between Matt and I and we were out of our seats.

"I don't need to impress her," I heard Tyler reply. "I already won." Jeremy's mouth curled before Tyler was shoved back and right into, you guessed it, sweet little old me.

"Mia, you ok?" Matt grabbed onto my shoulders.

Tyler spun round, his eyes widened down at me.

Ahhhhh. Hello. Awkwardness.

His shock only last a second before he turned back to Jeremy. "Now, you're dead," Tyler seethed.

"Ok, guys, guys-"

"Am I?" Jeremy shot back. "Cause it seems like I'm standing here waiting for you to man up."

"Ty, don't!" Matt rushed forward and grabbed onto Tyler, but he hauled his shoulder out of Matt's grasp and charged for my brother. Matthew's delay allowed me to get to my brother first and stand in front of him.

Tyler barely stopped, but he did. Inches from me.

Ok, This worked. Excellent. And no one got punched. Win.

Tyler's head snapped down to glare at me.

I'd been this close to him many times, but never like this. "The next time I see you, Gilbert." For a second, I didn't know whether Tyler was talking to me or Jeremy.

"No, the next time I see you," Jeremy warned.

Matt pushed Tyler in the other direction whilst I maintained in front of my brother. "Jeremy," I said, trying to stay calm. "What the hell?" I grabbed his arm as he tried to walk away.

"If you cared, you wouldn't have left," Jeremy fired back at me. He ripped his arm from my hold and left me standing there wondering what happened to the Taylor Swift loving gentle brother I had left behind and feeling slightly responsible for it.

Later that day

I was just minding my own business, having an ice cream, showing some school spirit when a blonde demon marched up to me.

"And you're not in uniform because...?" Caroline raised her brows expectantly. This woman was utterly terrifying when she wants to be. I pretended to look around, unsure if she was speaking to me.

I didn't even know the routine so I don't know why Caroline was expecting me to perform tonight.

"Yes, you," Caroline asserted.

I fumbled with a letter between my fingers, plucking up some courage to do this. "It's in my car, I'm going to get changed into it, but first, I wanted to give you this." I handed her an envelope.

"What's this?"

"It's, um, it's a letter about how much I missed you when I was away," I lied. "I made one for everyone."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Caroline went to tear it open. "No, wait! I don't want to be here when you read it."

"Why not?"

"Because it may provoke an extreme reaction and it might get awkward." She looked at me weirdly. "I'm going to walk away and then you can open it."

"Fine, but go get changed."

I saluted her and began walking away. I then started power walking and then screw it, I broke out into a full on run. I got behind a wall and hid safely behind it, watching Caroline from a distance.

"Hello, Amelia."

I glanced over my shoulder.

"Oh hey, Stefan," I replied before looking back towards Caroline where her eyes were now reading my letter.

"What are you doing?" he asked me, trying to search for what I was looking at. "Are you ok?"

"Ok so, I've quit cheerleading, but I'm way too scared of Caroline to tell her so I decided the best way to go about this was to break the news in the form of a letter," I told him, waiting for Caroline to read through the long list of compliments before the final line.

"That's funny. Elena quit too."

"She what?!" I whipped my head round. We couldn't both quit on the same day!

"WHAT!" I heard loudly from a distance. I swung back around and Caroline's was frantically looking around, her fists clenched tightly at her side, my amazingly written letter on the floor.

"Oh my God! Hide me, Stefan, hide me!" I ducked behind him.

Thankfully, Caroline stormed off in the opposite direction. I was safe, for now.

"Phew," I said, bringing my hand up to nervously fiddle with my necklace. "That was close."

"That's a nice locket. May I take a look?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, sure. You, Stefan, are a man with great taste." I unhooked it from my neck. "Jenna's first ever boyfriend gave it to her. I always borrowed it as a kid so she just let me keep it." It was Rose Gold and had my birth sign on it I know what you're thinking, but it wasn't Logan who gave it to Jenna. I always got compliments on it although most of those compliments came from women. I handed Stefan my necklace.

"Is that Caroline?"

I whipped round. There was a blonde shark moving through the crowd. My heart sped up until I saw that it was just Claire from Science.

My shoulders deflated. "False alarm." I turned back to Stefan.

"Here." He handed me back my necklace. "An old friend used to have a necklace just like this. It made me think of her."

I smiled. "So, earlier, me and Matt were playing pool and-"

"Salvatore." In his stupid coach uniform, Mr Tanner stalked over with his clipboard and whistle. I masked the disgust and smiled at him. He stopped between us, looked from me, to Stefan, to back to me. "Miss Gilbert, I heard rumblings that you were back."

"I missed you too, Mr Tanner." I fist bumped his arm and he frowned and immediately wiped off my touch. "It's good to be back!"

"Mm. Maybe you'll use this semester as an opportunity to overcome your embedded cheerleader stereotype." I'm sure the disgust broke out just a little just then. The smartest girls in our grade were cheerleaders so I didn't know what he was on about.

"Ah, but good news, Mr Tanner, I'm no longer a cheerleader. My entire focus will be on History."

"Good. Because I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons." I furrowed my brows. "On you and your twin, but the personal excuses ended with summer break," he said firmly to me, pinching his fingers together to make his point.

"Lenient?" I couldn't help but scoff. I hadn't been taught by this man for a year so it was easy for me to forget that he was my teacher. "Was that your version of it?" It was Tanner's 'lenient' behaviour that was the last straw that had me wanting to leave this town. When Tanner's face distorted, I quickly took a deep breath. "I had a really great teacher at Belridge so I think you'll be very impressed by my new found History knowledge."

"I highly doubt that," Tanner frowned. Why did he have such a punchable face? "Pearl harbour," he then said so quick.

"Excuse me, did you just sneeze?" I shook my head at him, confused.

"The date, Miss Gilbert. If you had such a good teacher. Pearl Harbour. Impress me."

I stared at him blankly for a moment and then caught Stefan's face over his shoulder. 'December-" Stefan mouthed.

"December," I said aloud, watching Stefan's mouth. "7th, 19...41..." I then beamed at Mr Tanner. Ohhhh yeah.

"The Fall of the Berlin Wall," Mr Tanner continued.

I already knew it was in the 20th century so all Stefan had to provide were the last two numbers.

"1989," I replied confidently with full faith in Stefan. Elena picked up a smart one! "The same year Taylor Swift was born." I sent Tanner a nice finger-click-and-gun.

Mr Tanner shifted on one foot and folded his arms. "Civil Rights Act."

Me and Stefan worked out a pretty good system using mouth reading and hand gestures. He moved around a bit so I wasn't just looking in one direction when I answered. For someone who claimed to be intelligent, Mr Tanner never caught on.

"1964."

Boom.

"John F Kennedy assassination."

I actually knew this one. Matt and I were playing on a quiz machine at the Grill and this very question came up, so I looked Tanner straight in the eye when I replied, "1963."

Ka-bam.

Tanner stepped closer to me. "Martin Luther King."

"68."

"Lincoln."

"1865."

"Roe vs. Wade."

"1973."

"Brown vs. Board."

"1954."

"The Battle of Gettysburg."

"1863."

"Korean War."

"1950 to 1953."

"HA!" Tanner got in my face. I jerked away. His breath! "It ended in '52!"

Dammit, Stefan!

"Uh, actually, Sir, I think Amelia is right." Stefan stepped in. "It was '53."

"Are you stupid?!" Caroline swan over and leered over me.

"You can't call a teacher stupid, Caroline. The end of the Korean War was an easy mistake for him to make. I'm so sorry, sir."

Caroline gaped. "No, Mr Tanner, I wasn't-"

"Look it up, Miss Forbes. The Korean War, when did it end?" Tanner demanded, glaring at me the entire time. C'mon Stefan, be right, my dignity depends on it! Caroline immediately got out her phone and began typing away at one hundred miles per hour. "An academic source, Miss Forbes." Caroline crossed off of Wikipedia.

Eventually Caroline looked up. "1953," she answered. Tanner's face remained impassive even though I knew he was boiling in the inside.

I brushed off invisible lint from my shoulder. "Wow, Sir, I think you need to brush up on your facts. Maybe I should teach the class."

Hahaha. Lololololol.

He stepped up to me. I almost started doing my 'in your face' dance. "I'll be watching you this semester."

That's not creepy at all.

"Go join your team," he barked at Stefan. Stefan smiled knowingly at me and then jogged to go join his team.

"Oh look, cheerleader is starting." I pointed over to the bonfire.

Caroline squinted at me. "Go get your uniform."

"Um, didn't you read my letter?"

"What is this all about?"

"It's about me quitting the team," I replied.

"Is this about Damon?"

"Eh?" I let out, my face screwing up. "Why would me quitting the team be about Damon?"

"He told me about earlier." Her hands went to her hips and she stared at me expectantly, like she was waiting for me to confess something. "You were hitting on him!"

"I was not!" My voice peaked in its squeakiness. "Me hitting on him?" She nodded. "ME?!" My hand went to my chest. "I did nothing of the sort!"

"Urgh! You do this every time, Mia!"

I stared at her dumbfounded. "I don't think we've ever done this before!"

My good name! Ruined!

"I have to go, but we are not finished," she warned me with a finger.

What a dick! He told Caroline that I hit on him?! I would never! I gave him the speech, that was the opposite of hitting on him! How could two brothers be so different? I was so snitching on him to Stefan.

Whilst everyone gathered around the bonfire and watched Tanner boast about how we were going to destroy the other team, I looked around to see if I could see some of my old school chums around when I spotted my brother. Drinking.

This boy was seriously out of control. I pushed my sleeves up. That was all going to change.

I moved determinedly towards him and right as he was about to pour some more alcohol down his throat, I snatched the bottle from him.

He sighed heavily. "Give that back, Mia." His voice was already slurred as hell.

"How about no?" I turned the bottle upside down and the entire contents started spilling out of it. He tried catching it in his hands because he was so far gone that he actually thought that would work.

"What is your problem?"

"Is that Jeremy?" I heard from behind me.

I turned around and Tyler was charging towards us. Not again! "No, no, no!"

Jeremy was drunk, who knew what was going to come out of his mouth to provoke Tyler.

"No, Ty," Vicki said desperately, attempting to stop Tyler from coming over.

"Don't make this worse," I warned Jeremy, but of course he bumped passed me to meet Tyler in the middle. I hurried after him.

"Don't look so down," Tyler taunted. He threw his arm around Vicki, like he was dangling her in front of Jeremy. "Don't worry, you can have her when I'm done."

My brows jumped up my forehead. Who was this guy?

"You're a dick and you don't deserve her," Jeremy snapped, his hand in his pockets, but his body angled like he was resisting the temptation to wipe the smirk from Tyler's face.

"Guys, c'mon." I stepped in between them. "There are teachers around."

Tyler peered down at me. For a moment, I thought I saw pain in his almost black eyes like when I first told him it was over.

Vicki backed off from Tyler and looked around desperately for someone in case this kicked off.

"How about we make a trade?" Tyler looked back up at Jeremy, his hand coming to my waist. "Vicki for your sister, how about it?"

I stared open mouthed at Tyler. "Hey!" I protested angrily, but I felt a hand pull back on my shoulder and when I turned, Jeremy threw his fist at Tyler's face. Tyler spun to the ground. I covered my mouth. "Jeremy!" Tyler got back up and ran at my brother, his fists screwing themselves into Jeremy's hoody. "Tyler!" Jeremy's back hit the car bonnet and the beer bottles on the car's hood smashed on the ground. "Oh my God!"

Tyler flipped Jeremy so he was on his back and I almost died when Jeremy narrowly missed the glass.

"Tyler, get off him!" I tore at his jersey, but he kept raising his fist and hitting my brother with it. My brother yelped out and I saw blood. I grabbed Tyler's fist as it came up, but he pushed me back. I clung on and was able to knock Tyler off balance. He quickly rolled so he was now pinning me down.

"Stop," he demanded. "This isn't your fight."

"That's my brother, Ty, that makes it my fight!" I argued, pushing my wrists up.

Jeremy speared Tyler off me and the two rolled. Jeremy threw a punch to Tyler's gut, but the alcohol slowed him down and Tyler was able to get back on top, throwing punch after punch.

I was about to jump right back in when Stefan gently moved me aside and hauled Tyler off Jeremy. When Tyler went for my brother again, Stefan stepped in front of him. Tyler immediately drew his fist back at Stefan, but Stefan didn't even flinch when Tyler got him in the gut and appeared completely unaffected by it.

"Stop it, Tyler!" I yelled at him.

He spun to face me. "You don't get to tell me what to do anymore," he snapped back, leering over me, getting in my face. Why was everyone doing that to me today?

"Jeremy, no!" My twin shouted out and Stefan shoved Tyler out the way and all I saw was glass in my brother's hand.

"Oh my God!"

Matt came out of nowhere and tackled Tyler. My brother stared in shock at the broken glass in his hand and I didn't want to look at the condition Stefan was in. It all happened so quickly that I wasn't sure what was going on.

As soon as I was able to gather my wits again, I shoved Jeremy to the side.

"That's enough." He opened his mouth, probably to ask me why I cared, or to leave him alone, but that was never happening again. "I'm not going anywhere, Jer and you better get used to that because I'm going to be here, ruining your fun every time." He frowned hard down at me. "You hear that? I'm always going to be here and that little stunt is being reported right back to Jenna. Enjoy the inside of your room, Jeremy, it's where we're going to be hanging out from now on."

"Whatever," Jeremy snarled at me.

"Yeah, whatever!" I mocked back at him.

It's safe to say I wasn't in the mood to celebrate after that. Elena chose to stay with Stefan who thank God hadn't been injured and I went to the car. What a dramatic forty eight hours since I've been back.

I needed to talk to Jenna and come up with an action plan on what to do about Jeremy.

I swung my bag in the trunk, shut it and turned around.

"Oh Good Lord!" My hand thumped to my chest, my back hitting my car as I stared at the newest burden to my life. "Damon..." I exhaled. "Why are you here?" I peered up at him in annoyance.

He looked around and then dipped to my level. He covered one side of his mouth like he was about to tell me a secret. "I'm hiding from Caroline. I need a break. She talks more than I can listen." That's Caroline, take it or leave it, buddy.

"Then end it. Do her a favour," I replied, folding my arms.

He squinted at me. "Do we have a problem?" He said it like he was surprised.

"You told Caroline I hit on you," I said, very clearly. "So yeah."

He quietly scoffed. "I did not." I rolled my eyes and he stepped closer to me. "All I told Caroline was that we ran into each other at the Grill." He placed his hand on my car, just beside my waist. "And then Caroline got it into her head that you were looking at me a certain way yesterday."

"What?" I scoffed. "No I wasn't."

He tilted his head. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah I'm sure," I fired back without a hint of hesitation. Maybe I answered too quickly.

"I don't know, the vibe I got yesterday..." He tutted and stepped even closer so I was back up against the car. "You want me."

"Ummm, no."

"I get to you." I raised my brows at him. "You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me." I had a really cocky 'hell no' face until he said that last part. I felt my entire face drop.

He gazed into my eyes. "And right now, you want to kiss me."

I held onto my car as he lowered his lips towards me and just as he thought he had me, I pressed my hands into his chest and shoved him away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed. He looked down at his chest, where my hands had shoved him and had the audacity to look confused, like he couldn't believe I resisted him. "Do you really think I would do that to Caroline?"

"Amelia, are you ok?" Stefan ran over.

Damon's eyes circled the sky before he slowly rotated round to face his brother. "Hmm. Nice move with Amelia." He glanced over his shoulder at me. "Let me guess." He eyed me from head to toe. I glared back at him. "Vervain in the necklace?"

Huh? What's vervain?

"I was a bit surprised. It's been awhile since anyone could resist my compulsion." I furrowed my brows at Damon. What was he talking about? Compulsion? Was he some kind of hypnotist?

"It's ok, Amelia," Stefan reassured me. Him just saying that made me feel not ok at all. What was going on and why did I feel like I was in danger?

"I guess I could just seduce her the old fashioned way." Damon grabbed me and pulled me in front of him.

"What are you doing?! Unhand me!"

I tried to wrestle out of his grasp but he didn't even flinched or have any trouble keeping me there.

"Or I could just eat her." He kissed the side of my head. I tried elbowing him. He squeezed me. "Behave," he said lowly in my ear. "My little cheerleader." I'm not a cheerleader!

"You're not going to hurt her," Stefan said sternly.

"No?" Damon questioned, sliding his fingers down my arm.

"Because deep down inside of you, there's a part of you that feels for her," Stefan told him and I was able to pull from Damon's grasp, only to be pulled back.

"Let go of me!"

"I was worried you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster you pretend to be," Stefan said, stepping closer to us.

"I know the sheriff!" I exclaimed.

"Who's pretending?" Damon brushed my hair from my neck.

"Then kill me," Stefan challenged.

Was I seriously in this situation? Was this all talk? Had Damon been drinking?

Damon thought about it. "Well, I'm tempted."

"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it and yet here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me, after one hundred and forty five years." Stefan was so close that I was now sandwiched between the two brothers. "Katherine is dead." I tilted my head to find Damon not looking so smug anymore. "And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that brother, is your humanity." With each word, Damon's grasp on me seemed to tighten.

"Salvatore!" I didn't think I'd ever be so happy to hear Mr Tanner in all my life. "What the hell are you doing? We have a game to play!"

"Mr Tanner! Help!" I let out and started wrestling with Damon again.

"If that's my humanity, then what's this?" Damon said with eerie calmness.

I fell forward as Damon let me go. I landed on the ground and when I looked up, I didn't know what I was seeing. Mr Tanner was screaming and Damon's face was buried in his neck. I didn't know what the heck was going on when blood started squirting out of Tanner's neck. I almost threw up.

When Damon dropped Tanner, these veins were branched out under his red eyes and his mouth and teeth were stained with blood.

"Oh my God..."

"Anyone, anytime, anyplace," Damon sneered at his younger brother.

I was so out of here. I shoved off the ground and tripped running to my car when Damon appeared in front of me. How was that possible?!

"Get away from me!"

"Damon, no!" I heard Stefan yell from behind me.

My necklace was snapped from neck and before I could turn to go, Damon pulled me to him. "Forget this ever happened." Damon placed both his hands beside me, trapping me in. "Go home, get in your bed and have sweet, sweet dreams of big bad me."

I blinked and Stefan was staring at me, this concerned look on his face.

"Yo, Stefan," I greeted. "I'm heading home, did you want a lift?"

* * *

 **And there's chapter two - rewritten!**

 **So happy to have my old readers back with me on this re-write! And hello to all new readers! Thanks for all the comments! If there's any scenes you want to see Amelia in that she wasn't in before, let me know!**

 **Mia's twitter will be back soon! I follow everyone back on that account - ItsAmeliaG**

 **Thanks again! See you next time!**

 **LivHardy x**


	3. Family Ties part 1

**Amelia Gilbert**

"Yeah?" Matt grunted. I half glared at the phone because you would think I was a sales person instead of his number one amigo with the way he picked up.

"Matt, we have a code 412 on our hands," I whispered into my phone like it was a walkie talkie. "I repeat, a code 412."

"What the hell is a code 412?" There was some ruffling on his end followed by a long loud groan. "For God sake, Mia, it's three in the morning. What is wrong with you?"

"I already told you, a code 412." I crouched down on the ground and began crawling towards my bedroom door. "When can I expect your arrival? T-minus half an hour?"

"Never," he answered tiredly.

"I'm serious."

"So am I," he mumbled and sighed heavily. "I've really got to re-evaluate our friendship. You're too high maintenance and we're not even dating."

Me? High maintenance? What on earth was he on about? "Ok, wow... If you don't want the position of my BFF I can easily find someone who does, Matthew. Just say the word," I said sassily, gently pushing my door open a little so I could see out into the dark hallway. The coast was clear, but the dark shadows on the walls freaked me out so I closed the door again.

"I don't think you'll find many applicants."

"Stefan," I listed immediately.

"Fine, then let him deal with your code 412."

"Maybe I will."

"Good. I'm going back to sleep."

"Fine, then I'm going to do all these really cool activities with Stefan instead, like bingo and karaoke," I asserted. Haha, that was really not going to sit well with Matt. Not at all. The jealousy would eat him alive.

"Ok. Have fun with that. Bye."

Oh what!

"Bye!" I emphasised childishly, but then I panicked. I needed back up! "No, wait, wait, I'm sorry, I'm-"

Click.

Well, I was going to have to order Matthew some apology flowers. I could see potential best friend qualities in Stefan but we weren't there just yet.

I pushed myself up off the ground and went back to my bed. A few minutes passed and the noises coming from downstairs seemed to quieten down so I tried going back to sleep.

My eyes shot open only seconds later.

"Right, that's it," I said decidedly to myself, sitting upright in bed.. It started off with a creek. I figured it was just a member of my family getting a drink. No big deal. Nothing to call a code 412 about. Then I swore I could hear the muffles of a masculine voice. Jeremy was snoring away next door so I knew it wasn't him.

I peeled off my covers and rolled out of bed. Since Matt didn't respond to my code 412 request, I put my knee into the carpet and reached my arm underneath my bed, feeling around. "Aha!" I pulled out my greatest treasure.

My beautiful baseball bat.

I stroked my old friend. Whatever burglar was downstairs needed to be made an example of - The Gilbert household was off limits.

I began warming up, stretching out my calves and taking a few practise swings.

Gripping the neck of my bat tightly, I exited my room, ducking behind walls and doing a quick 360 of my surroundings.

I snuck down the stairs undetected and heard that same voice, but this time, I recognised it instantly. It was like nails being dragged down a chalkboard.

I lowered my bat and stared with a mixture of loathing and disbelief in the direction of the kitchen.

It was the same voice that used to have me and Jeremy _fleeing_ from the house in disgust whenever we heard it. The same voice I used to put the phone down on whenever he called the house and the same voice I specifically remember banning from this household so this was completely unacceptable.

I took about five practise swing before heading determinedly into the kitchen to deal with the real perpetrator.

"Logan, prepare to duel." My feet slid across the hard floor with my bat pointing in the direction where I heard his grating voice coming from. "Oh." I lowered my weapon disappointedly, realising I wasn't going to be able to hit Logan tonight as someone had just left the TV on his stupid face.

It was hard enough getting Jenna over Logan when he was on the news every night. He was a mini celebrity in this town and he sure knew it. He gave me his autograph once unrequested. For Christmas as well. Who on earth does that? I mean, really. I asked for a trampoline that year, not his dumb signature.

"This is Logan Fell coming to you live from the streets of Mystic Falls with breaking news of another deadly animal attack." Despite breaking this horrific news, Logan raised his brows like he was trying to seduce the camera, like he knew Jenna was watching. The lines that were there on his forehead last week were gone which was stupid. He was way too young to be getting Botox already.

Pushing my hatred of Logan aside, I moved towards the TV, fearing I knew who the victim was. "The wild animal terrorising the citizens of Mystic Falls has claimed another victim, local high school student Amelia Gilbert." My face flashed up on the screen. It wasn't even a good picture either!

"What?!" I erupted, throwing my arms out in outrage. "Oh, so now he's making lies about me!" What a stupid man. I looked around for the phone, needing to correct this error immediately.

"Amelia…" I heard whispered behind me. I turned to look briefly but no one was there, just darkness. I shook my head and turned to look back at Logan's smug face as he announced more fake news but this time Damon was in front of me.

I flew backwards from him. "What the…? Why are you…?" I lifted my bat up high but suddenly, I didn't have a bat, I was holding air. I looked down at my empty hands.

"You know what's coming," Damon taunted, dipping down to my level. I could barely see his face in the darkness. "Run."

Fuck this.

I ran for the door, my feet sliding across the floor and sending me flying into the wall. I quickly bounced back and grasped onto the front door handle.

"Fuuuuuuuccck!" I wailed seeing Damon on the other side. I slammed it closed and pressed my back against it, panting like crazy. What the hell was going on?! Why was Logan reporting that I was dead, why was Damon stalking me and where the fuck was my bat!?

"Oh my God..." I dragged out. There was a dark figure at the end of the hallway and it was staring at me. What the absolute fuck! I squeezed my eyes shut. This couldn't be real. This could not be real!

I peeled one eye open and he was gone. What the hell was happening?

Ok, so all the lights in the house needed to be turned on immediately.

I took one step forward when an invisible force slammed me backwards.

It was him. His eyes were rimmed with a dark red glow and brown branches stem out from underneath. His mouth was already dripping red liquid, his chin already stained with it. He tilted his head and fangs fought their way out his gums."Any place, any time, I'll find you." I kept shaking my head. Damon boxed me in with his arms and I squished back against the wall, visibly shaking. He threw his head back and dived into my neck.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, unable to push him off me.

"AHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Amelia!" I jerked awake with someone physically shaking me. Jenna's hand was raised like she was moments away from slapping me awake.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm awake! I'm awake!" I threw my arms over my face like a shield. "Have mercy!"

Jenna exhaled seeing I was awake and lowered her hand. "Jesus Christ, Mia, you were screaming and you wouldn't wake up!"

I felt like I had just run a marathon with the way I couldn't catch my breath. I was sweating all over and could hear my heart as clear as day as it struggled to calm down. I've never had a nightmare quite like that before. It was just a dream, but damn, it felt so realistic. So intense. I should have known it was a dream when I was actually willing to go down and confront a burglar. Like I would do that! I'd obviously send Elena. She's a lot scarier than me.

My hand touched up to my neck and felt around. Nothing. Why was I dreaming about this man?!

"Are you ok?" Jenna passed me some water and I downed it. "Is this about Mr Tanner?"

Maybe it was. My History teacher was the latest victim of the animal attacks. I had only been involved in a History duel with him an hour before it happened. That was fun to explain to one of the Sheriffs. He didn't even look like he believed me when I told him I'd won. I didn't get why that was so hard to believe, but ok.

"I'm ok, I'm ok," I reassured Jenna once I regained the ability to speak. She didn't look convinced. I slid my legs off the bed and bent over so I could see underneath. My bat was still safe and sound, thank God.

"What were you dreaming about?" Jenna asked, rubbing my back. "You kept yelling out 'Code 412?'"

That wasn't even a thing with me and Matt so I have no clue where that came from. Despite this, deep down I still felt pissed off that dream Matt hadn't come to my aid!

"Do you remember it?" Jenna pushed.

I couldn't exactly tell her that I was dreaming about Caroline's boyfriend giving me the hickey of a lifetime, could I?

"Oh Aunt Jenna, it was horrible. I've never seen anything so disgusting in my life." I buried my face in my hands. "Woe is me!"

She put her arm around me. "What was it?" I shook my head. "Mia, c'mon tell me."

"It was..." I inhaled. "It was Logan's face."

I peeked through my fingers to see the concern on her face had dropped and was replaced with a glare. That technically wasn't a lie.

"You said to tell you," I pointed out. "What's with all this judgement?"

"You dreamt about Logan?" she said in her flattest tone.

I nodded adamantly. "He murdered me and then tried to blame it on the animal attacks." I came up with. "He was like I'm Logan from WP something news and Amelia Gilbert has just been killed by an animal. And then he smirked into the camera like he knew something the world didn't. It's not like I saw him murdering me, but it was implied." Jenna continued to stare at me with one brow raised. "I honestly think we should take my dream seriously and consider it a sign of what he's capable of." She rolled her eyes. "Jenna, please. I had a dream once that Caroline's life was over. The next day, she came into school with a giant zit." I held my hands up. "I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think I may have psychic abilities."

"Did you just get weirder at boarding school?" She got up and threw one of the many cushions I kept on my bed and it hit me in the face.

"Just more psychic I believe," I replied with a 'what can you do' sigh. "So we're in agreement, Logan can't step foot in this house just in case he murders me. Gotcha, I'll put it in the family newsletter."

"Weird kid." I thought I heard Jenna mutter down the hall, but I'm sure she was just talking about Jeremy.

Still in a daze, I sent Matt an angry message because dream Matt failed as a friend and I needed him to do better next time.

The dream continued to linger with me during my shower and whilst I was getting changed. It was weird for a dream to stay with me like this, especially when it was about a guy I hardly knew.

I splashed some water onto my face and sighed. Three days back and I was already having nightmares. That wasn't a good sign.

Ready for the day, I came downstairs and slowed when Logan was back on the TV, just like in my nightmare. His forehead was wrinkle free, just like in my dream. Maybe I am psychic.

"To repeat, the animal terrorising Mystic Falls has been caught," Logan announced. I exhaled. I'm glad that part of my dream wasn't true.

Jenna's forearms were resting on the kitchen counter, watching him. I looked at her, then at Logan and then swung my gaze back to her.

"What?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders at me.

I maintained eye contact until I was completely blocking her view of the TV. I turned around and crossed my arms, watching the scumbag as he made this all about him by stating that he was glad 'his' town was safe again.

"Uhuh, uhuh, very suspicious," I said to myself. "Just as I suspected, he has the face of an asshole."

"Mia?" I glanced over my shoulder when my Aunt called me. "Get out the way."

"Why? You're trying to eat your breakfast and I don't want you to be ill," I said innocently, gesturing to the TV.

"Who are you talking about?" Elena quizzed, sending me a weird look.

"My name is Logan Fell and this is WPKW9." Perfect timing. I jerked my thumb over my shoulder. I may have been at boarding school the past year but I swear it's Elena who hasn't been around. Asking who I was talking about, who else repulses me this much!?

Elena tilted her head to the side, studying him. "I think he's cute."

"Y-you think he's... " I stopped and brought my fist to my mouth. "Ok, you need to wash your mouth out with soap." I said very clearly, seriously concerned about Elena's eyesight. "He is about as cute as a foot."

"He may be a dick but he is hot, there's no denying that," Jenna pointed out. Elena nodded in agreement while I reared back like they had just told me the world had been taken over by aliens. The women in my family were seriously blind.

"You need to find someone that's both attractive and not a dick," I replied. "And I know just the guy," I offered, out of the kindness of my heart.

"I'm not dating Matt, Mia," Jenna erupted. I stared at her flabbergasted.

"I wasn't going to say Matt!" I exclaimed, offended. "Jeez." I sat down opposite Elena and poured myself some cereal. You would think I had just suggested she'd date Hitler with that reaction.

Jenna turned when her toast popped out of the toaster.

"Were you going to say Matt?" My twin asked.

"Well, yeah..." I shrugged like it was no big deal. She could do a lot worse - aka Logan. "What's that?" I flicked my chin at the trinkets she had scattered across the counter.

Elena picked one up and turned it in her hands. "I went yesterday and got them from the safe deposit box. Mom told Mrs Lockwood she would loan it to the founder's council for their heritage display."

Jenna picked up a ring and squinted one eye at it. "Is that Grandma Beth's wedding ring?"

"Yeah it did. I offered it to Matt in case he wanted to propose to you," I said, smiling fondly while Elena dropped what she was holding, like she had suddenly only remembered that I had done that. "Guess I'll have to give it to Stefan now."

"Do not do that," Elena said very sternly to me with wide eyes.

"Do what?" I asked her, confused.

"You offered Matt that ring the first week we started dating."

I fanned out my hand, not seeing the problem here. "Yeah, so...?"

"So I don't want you to freak Stefan out!"

I scoffed. "It's not going to freak him out, Elena. It's not like I'm saying marry her tomorrow, it's more like, it's there if he wants it." Talk about overreaction much. I was doing her a service. Matt would make a fine husband which hopefully Jenna would eventually find out.

"You never offered that ring to Logan," Jenna pointed out.

"Yeah and there's a reason for that." I rolled my eyes and took another mouthful of my cereal. "He'd probably try and pawn it."

"I don't understand why you hate him so much. He was always nice to me." Elena shrugged.

"Yeah, well, he didn't push you down the stairs," I replied bitterly.

"You fell down the stairs and he just happened to be behind you when it happened," Jenna said, exhaustedly.

"Fell? Logan 'Fell' Get it?" I looked around, but confused faces just stared back at me. "He pushes people down the stairs and makes it look like they 'fell.' Hence where his name comes from," I said adamantly.

"That, or it's just his surname..." Jenna said slowly, like I was some kind of weirdo or something.

"I never fall down the stairs. You can't say that the one time I did and he was right behind me wasn't suspicious at all."

"What are you talking about? You always fall down the stairs," Elena exclaimed.

Just as I was about to defend myself, a hairy arm reached over my shoulder and picked up one of the trinkets. "How much do you think this stuff is worth? You know, like on eBay?" Jeremy asked and held up a trinket to the light.

"You're not going to find out." Elena stood up and snatched it off of him.

"That stuff is mom and dad's. You can't just give it away," Jeremy told her firmly, looming over her.

"Um, who was up for selling it on eBay thirty seconds ago?" I reminded, trying to eat my breakfast in peace.

We all looked up and over at the door at the sound of the door bell. Elena pushed herself up and by the small smirk on her face, I had a pretty good guess to who was at the door. "Don't let him touch these," she said to me, gesturing to Jeremy. I lifted my spoon at her as a way of telling her 'ok' because my mouth was full but ended up flicking some milk at her. She exhaled impatiently and angrily wiped it down my arm.

"You don't have a problem with this?" Jeremy demanded.

"Of course I do. I'm going to stink of milk now," I replied, wiping my arm with a tissue.

"I meant Elena giving mom and dad's stuff away." He gripped the counter top tightly and frowned.

I leaned back in my seat to see if I was right about our visitor. "It's called borrowing, Jeremy. It's not like they're not going to give it back."

"It's going to the Lockwood's," Jeremy expressed firmly. "I don't trust them as far as I can throw them."

"You mean you don't trust Tyler, because of Vicki," I corrected, not facing him. "Stefan!" I called out, raising a hand when the door opened. "My man!"

"Amelia, how are you?" he replied, wiping his feet on the doormat whilst Elena was trying to drag him up the stairs.

"Fine, thanks. You?"

Stefan and I exchanged pleasantries. Jenna sat across from laughing. I had no idea why. When Elena did finally manage to drag Stefan upstairs, I turned to the laughing baboon with furrowed brows. She was still laughing. "What is your problem? I was trying to talk to Stefan about the weather."

"No future boyfriends of Elena's will ever step foot inside this house, unless it's Matt," she mimicked what I may or may not have said a couple months ago. Why do people keep bringing up the past? How was I meant to know Elena was going to bring home a cool guy like Stefan? "You banged on about it for months!"

"You really need to give Stefan a chance, Jenna," I said, shaking my head. "You really do."

"What has he even done that's impressed you so much?"

He wiped his feet, basically.

"I don't know." I lifted my shoulders helplessly. "He just gives me good vibes. I'm really good at judging someone's character." I looked directly at her and raised my brows. "Like Logan. I'm 88 percent certain he's a serial killer out to get me."

"Oh for God sake, Mia. Look I'm not going to get back together with him so you can quit going on about it."

"Good. Now let's talk about Matt."

"Let's not." Jenna dumped her plate in the sink. "I'm going to go and have a shower whilst also making sure they're keeping Elena's bedroom door open." She looked between Jeremy and I. "That goes for all of you if you bring someone home."

"What are you doing?" I argued loudly. "We want this one to stick around, Jenna. I can't go through another breakup. I've already bonded with Stefan."

"You just met him!" she exclaimed.

I ignored her and continued. "If Stefan knocks Elena up, we have ourselves a keeper," I said, explaining my logic. She gave me a 'are you insane?' look. "I get where you're coming from, Jenna, I really do. I wanted her to be with Matt too, but the cards have been dealt and now we have Stefan."

"I'll be right back," Jenna said pointedly at me and exited the kitchen. "Elena," she yelled up the stairs. "You better have your door open."

"And they call me a cockblock," I commented, hooking an arm over my chair. "Am I right?"

If she ever brought Logan back into this house, I would take her bedroom door off their hinges. No privacy = no Fell babies.

Jeremy barely looked like he was paying attention to me. "Do you want to go to the Grill?" Jeremy asked, pushing the trinkets away from him.

When no one answered, I looked around. "Me?" I asked in surprise.

"...Do you see anyone else in the room?" he asked with an actual smile.

"I thought you hated me?"

"You're my sister. I have to love you." He stood up and looked at me expectantly.

"That doesn't reassure me in the way you think it does," I replied, but stood up too. "Lead the way, little bro."

We got in Jenna's car and rolled down the windows. I spotted Stefan from Elena's bedroom window and waved. He smiled and waved back. What a cool guy. I like him.

I started up the car.

"Wait, did you just invite me to get a lift?" I asked Jeremy, brows furrowed.

"Would I do that?" Jeremy asked, staring out the window.

"I think so."

Eh, I'll take it. The more I hung out with Jeremy, the more I could be a good influence on him and bring him back to the light. We always expected Jeremy to go through a phase like this but we expected it years ago. When all Jeremy's friends began smoking pot, he was still listening to Taylor Swift.

"It's busy," I commented as Jeremy held the door open for me. He still had his manners at least. I pretty much spotted the reason Jeremy brought me here straight away and she was wearing a waitressing uniform.

"Ever heard of playing it cool?" I said to Jeremy. I then tripped.

"Have you?" Jeremy asked, passing me. I cleared my throat and rolled my shoulders back. Jeremy was smiling until he saw Vicki was in the middle of serving Tyler and his family. Tyler was on his phone, barely paying attention to Vicki as she interacted with his parents. He looked like the grumpy teenager Jeremy currently was whereas Vicki was all smiles.

"Ah nuts, my ex in-laws are here," I said to Jeremy, moving to his other side, not wanting to be seen. Carol loved me as a daughter in law. She was good friends with my mom so they always had high hopes of their children getting married and having babies.

"Can you explain something to me?" Jeremy asked, looking off in that direction.

"You should probably really have that conversation with a guy..." I replied, awkwardly.

"What? No.. You idiot." He almost laughed. Almost. Not long now. "Why does she like him when he treats her like shit?"

"Ah, that's an easy one. Treat them mean, keep them keen," I offered. "Like Matt for example. He only really started to become obsessed with Elena when she started pulling away from him. But that's only a short term solution. Heroes always prevail, Jer. Just look at Stefan and what a stand up guy he is," I explained, leading the way to the bar. As I was dishing out some great advice, I caught sight of Caroline and Bonnie having breakfast. "That's funny. My invite must have been lost in the mail," I let Jeremy know.

"Awkward."

"Caroline thinks I'm trying to steal her boyfriend, you know, because that is my reputation," I said sarcastically, looking at a menu. "I was really offended, actually." When Jeremy didn't answer, I lowered my menu. "If anything he was hitting on me." Jeremy's head was still turned. "And then a giant gorilla came out of nowhere and speared Matt."

Jeremy turned to look at me, looking so lost. "What?"

"Oh, you were listening." I cleared my throat. Good to know. "You know you're going to creep her out if you keep staring at her."

"So what are you going to buy me?" Jeremy and I both looked when we heard Tyler's voice. He was following Vicki not too far away from us. Jeremy's fingers curled into a fist.

"Ugh, some class," Vicki answered him. "Oh, your parents are gone. I guess we can be close now," Vicki shot at him. Wahey, respect girlfriend.

Tyler looked taken back by her answer. He was always oblivious to when he did something wrong. When we were dating, we had made plans for our six month anniversary. Hey, I know, it's not that long, don't judge, but at the time, my fifteen year old self saw that as a huge landmark in our relationship. He ditched me last minute to hang out with his friends and didn't understand why I wouldn't speak to him for two days.

"What the hell does that mean?" Tyler asked with a small scoff.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. I put a hand over his arm so that he wasn't tempted to take Tyler on in round three. I didn't have it in me to separate another fight.

"You treat me like trash." Vicki turned to face him. "I'm sick of it." I almost got up and applauded the girl. You tell him, girlfriend!

"I don't think your trash..." Again, Tyler sounded like he didn't understand where this was coming from.

"Really? Then who are you taking to the founder's party?" Vicki demanded.

I didn't know whether he sensed us staring, but Tyler looked over. I quickly pretended to be intensely interested in the menu, letting out a few 'hmm, that wasn't on the menu last time I was here. I think I'll have that, or maybe the...'

Jeremy, on the other hand, just continued staring back, completely blowing our cover. When I peeked up again, Tyler was paying no attention to Jeremy, but he sure was me. We needed to talk at some point because I couldn't keep going through this awkwardness.

"Vicki Donovan," Tyler announced, still looking at me. Weird. "Do you want me to ask you to the founder's party?" He slipped his hand into hers and pulled her to him.

"What a joke," Jeremy muttered. "Did you see that?"

"No. It'll be stupid and lame," Vicki replied, but that's not what her mouth was saying as it grew into a smile. C'mon Vicki, you were doing so well! Make him work for it!

"True, but it'll be less stupid and lame if you were there." He winked at her, pulling back. While Vicki looked like she was on cloud 9, Tyler turned and caught my eye. I sighed silently and looked away as he headed back to the table he shared with his parents.

Vicki was still beaming as she tended behind the bar, right where we were.

"You realise that was for my sister's benefit, right?" Jeremy said to her. My eyes grew. I didn't want to be dragged into this! I slapped his arm but he ignored me. "You figure if you dress up like a respectable young lady, he'll finally treat you like one?"

She shook her head. "Screw you, Jeremy." She was saying that to the wrong guy, but ok.

"You know you're making the wrong choice, yet you make it anyway," Jeremy continued, unable to take his eyes off her. "It's sad." He stared at her desperately and I felt bad for my little bro. He had it bad.

She didn't respond to him and instead asked someone else to serve us.

"Heroes prevail, Jer." I massaged his shoulders. "Just remember that." I used his shoulder to push myself out of my stool. "I'm going to go the bathroom." I tugged my top down and went to slide passed Jeremy when on instinct, my head turned towards the entrance. Damon walked in and glanced around. "On second thoughts, I'll hold," I said, sitting back down, trying to use Jer as a shield so he couldn't see me. That dream was still weighing heavily on my mind and I didn't know why. Maybe it was own instincts warning me to stay away? Hopefully Caroline was having the same dream.

Jeremy looked over his shoulder and found the source of my discomfort straight away. "Is that the boyfriend Caroline thinks you're trying to steal?"

"Yep," I replied, watching as Damon pulled out a chair from another table and sat between Bonnie and Caroline. Bonnie took one look at him and got straight up which made me laugh. Bonnie didn't get good vibes from him either. How could one brother be instantly likeable and the other not so much? "So Jer, I think we're going to have to do some sort of intervention."

Jeremy sighed. "I'm fine. I don't need an intervention."

"Wow. Self-obsessed much. I wasn't talking about you." But I was pretty sure we'd have to do one on him soon. "I'm talking about Jenna. She keeps going back and forth on Logan and I think if we don't stay on the ball with this, he might just win her back."

"Right, ok. Have we asked if she wanted us to set her up with Matt?" Jeremy suggested.

"Yeah and she said no," I replied, dumbfounded. "Sure there's an age difference there, but Mom was older than Dad."

"Yeah and Liam from One Direction is like ten years younger than his girlfriend," Jeremy pointed out. "Age gaps are in right now."

"Definitely," I agreed. "So what I'm thinking is, blind date." I paused and waited for some sort of reaction from Jeremy.

"Blind date," Jeremy repeated, nodding his head. "It could work. Get Matt a tuxedo, some cologne and bam, we have ourselves a future Uncle."

With Damon now sitting down, my route to the bathroom was free. "I'm going to the ladies room, but keep brainstorming. This is good." I patted his shoulder and moved off.

I did my business and washed my hands. I checked my hair and makeup was still good and pushed the door open.

I don't know how it even happened because I was looking where I was going but I still crashed right into the person I was trying to avoid. How does that work? I quickly backed off after bumping my chest up against him, but he reached out for me like I was falling backwards instead of actually choosing to get away from him, which I was.

"You ok?" he asked, raising his brows. I nodded and swiped his hand off me. He tilted his head to the side and stared at me curiously as I backed off from him like he was about to murder me.

"I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure? You seem...spooked." He glanced behind him as if there was something else beside him that was freaking me out. Nope, it was just him. "Like you've seen a ghost or a...vampire." He flashed me a smile.

"I'm fine," I recovered. "I just didn't see you. That's all." Caroline was still at their table with her compact mirror out.

"Well I saw you," he let me know, bringing my attention back to him. "It's hard not to." One of my brows cocked up. What's that supposed to mean? "I just wanted to come and apologise. I heard what happened with Caroline." He pressed his lips together and gave an uneasy smile.

"Yeah." I crossed my arms under my chest, flicking my hair over my shoulder. "Thanks for that," I said dryly.

He exhaled. "She told me she spoke to you. All I said to her was that I ran into you. Her imagination made up the rest." I didn't want to believe him but Caroline did have a habit of over reacting.

"Did you tell her I wasn't?" I asked.

"Of course," he stressed, but in a way that almost seemed like he was mocking me. Like high school drama amused him. I wouldn't be surprised if this was all one big game to him. Maybe it was. "Let me make it up to you, alright? I'm taking Caroline to the Founder's party tonight. I'll give you a ride and you two can clear the air."

"I'll just talk to her there. I don't need a lift," I dismissed. I did not like the idea of being trapped in a car with him, even if other people were around. "I've got a date anyway." I forced Matt to take me.

"I know." He half smiled, squinting his eyes. "Football player, right?"

"His name is Matt," I corrected. Matthew Stud Donovan.

Wait, how the hell did he know?

"Right," he said flippantly, like he didn't care. "That's already taken care of. He was actually pretty relieved he won't have to drive."

"What? You've already spoken to Matt?" I asked, confused. This was what my dream was trying to warn me about! Matt was going to let me down! God dammit, Matthew!

"Mmhmm," he said, peering over my shoulder. "So I'll pick you up at seven?" he confirmed, moving round me.

"We don't need a lift," I insisted, turning with him. I would rather walk.

"It's fine," he dismissed. It was not fine! I opened my mouth to argue. "You smell incredible by the way, do you know that?" he added. What? "Oh hi Stefan," Damon immediately greeted, turning to face him. "Didn't see you there."

I was so confused by our weird exchange that I didn't greet Stefan straight away. I vowed never to let that happen again. I really needed to stay on the ball with our friendship.

"Amelia, are you alright?" Stefan checked, looking from Damon to me and then back again as if Damon had done something to personally offend me.

"Oh yeah, I'm cool." Just like you.

"See you tonight, Mia," Damon drawled, passing behind his brother. Stefan's eyes followed him. "I like red," Damon aimed at me but he remained staring at Stefan, just like how Tyler did with me and Vicki earlier. "Coming, brother?"

Stefan offered me a quick smile and followed Damon out the grill.

I watched the two suspiciously. As much as I couldn't deny Stefan's cool factor, something was off with those two and I was going to find out what.

"I was beginning to think you'd fallen in." Jeremy came up behind me.

"That was one time. Let it go."

 **Thanks for all the comments and favourites, they really mean a lot!**

 **Let me know what you think and what you want to see or who you want to see more of in the next chapter!**

 **LivHardy x**


	4. Family Ties part 2

**Amelia Gilbert**

Knock knock.

"Jeremy," I announced, keeping my gaze fixated on the TV. "Door."

Jeremy stayed cross armed, slumped down in the arm chair to my right, also focusing on the episode of Catfish we were watching. We truly believed we could be the next Nev and Max. We just needed Matt to meet a woman on the internet, Elena's camera and we have ourselves a show! "I bet it's a woman," Jeremy decided when the catfish texted Nev his address.

"Jeremy, door," I prompted.

"You get it," he shot back.

"No you get it."

"I'm really busy," he claimed, nodding at the TV.

"Well so am I." I too nodded at the TV.

Knock knock.

We looked at each other reluctantly. "Elena!" We both yelled at the same time. "Door!"

"It's Stefan!" I lied, waiting for her to come bulldozing down the stairs. I should have known she wouldn't fall for it. If it were really Stefan at the door, I'd be the first to get it to nurture our growing friendship. It's not often you meet someone and think 'Damn, you could be my best friend one day.' Stefan just had something really cool and sophisticated about him and I really needed that to complete my squad. I surely wasn't going to get that from Matt!

Jeremy looked at me expectantly. I sighed like this was the biggest inconvenience to my life. "They've seen we're in. I wish Aunt Jenna would just let us keep the curtains closed." It took a lot of effort to push myself up.

"I know, who needs vitamin D, right?"

I pointed from my head to Jeremy's because we were always on the same wavelength. Sometimes I think Jeremy might be my twin.

I dragged myself to the door. So it appears Elena wasn't in so it probably wasn't Stefan. I hadn't ordered anything so it wasn't that. This gave me no motivation whatsoever to open the door. Hey, maybe it was Matthew!

Instead, I opened the door and found a very reluctant looking ex-boyfriend. I inwardly groaned. His hands were shoved in his front pockets and his chin was downcast. As soon as I had gotten home I changed back into my pyjamas - fluffy grey pyjamas bottoms, a black tank top and my long curls were tied up in a messy bun, not quite the right attire for seeing your ex. See, this was why Jeremy should have answered the door!

Tyler was wearing black jeans with a bluish-gray three quarter length shirt that highlighted his growing physique. He'd definitely been working out since I left, maybe waiting for the day I returned so he could go 'Hey look at me now! Well I'm all the way up-

"I'm here for my mom." He cut off the Little Mix song going on in my head.

"Uh, well, she's not here?" I replied back, just as awkwardly. I was so blinded by how uncomfortable this was that I didn't stop to think logically about what he had just said.

"I'm supposed to be picking up some boxes." he continued, unable to look me in the eye. Ohhh, it was so awkward. Painfully awkward. I didn't know how to make it right.

"Oh, um, ok, one sec." I told him and closed the door a little. I turned around and scanned the hallway. In the corner, there were two brown boxes taped with Carol Lockwood's name scrawled in black sharpie on the lid. I rifled through it quickly, checking it was the right stuff, and then tapped back down the lid. I stacked the boxes on top of each other and went back out to meet Tyler. I put my foot in the door and edged it back open. "Here they are, I think there may be some china in there so be careful with them."

"Yeah, be careful with them dick." Jeremy suddenly appeared behind me and pulled the door open so he was visible. So, he couldn't get up to answer the door but he could to insult Tyler?! Woooooow. Priorities.

Tyler's gaze narrowed. I didn't have any hands free for world war three!

"Whoa, whoa, go back to watching Catfish. I'm holding very delicate china," I ushered Jeremy, but he stayed right where he was, scowling at Tyler. The scowl looked way too natural on Jeremy's face. Why did I leave? My family needed me as much as I had needed them.

Tyler straightened up and took the boxes from me. As we exchanged them, my forearm brushed his causing his eyes to flicker down to mine for the first time. He tilted his head and hesitated from pulling away, until Jeremy practically pushed the boxes into his hands, that is.

"Jeremy-" I scolded.

"What was that, dick?" Jeremy tried to step forward when Tyler mumbled something that was inaudible, but I stretched my arm across the door, blocking his way.

"He said thank you for the boxes!" I said to Jeremy quickly.

"No he didn't." Jeremy ignored me and stared straight at Tyler. "If you have something to say then say it."

"Nobody's saying anything! Jesus, what is wrong with you two?" I said, looking between them. Had this all started over Vicki?

"I'm fine, he is just being a punk." Tyler replied defensively. He looked at me for a moment before back at Jeremy.

"Bye." Jeremy put a firm hand on the door and pushed it closed, but Tyler's hand slammed out and forced it back open.

"Look, would it make a difference if I told you I actually like Vicki?"

"What? And pretend that you're not just saying that for my sister's benefit?" Jeremy challenged, causing me to wince at the awkward subject. Was it really necessary to drag me into this?!

Tyler laughed at the suggestion. It was a proper jerk laugh. "You think I'm doing this to make Mia jealous?"

"I know you are, dick." Jeremy said again. "You knew she was coming back to town."

"I've been hooking up with Vicki for months so that invalidates your theory." Tyler shot back at him.

"I can't believe you ever dated this dick." Jeremy scoffed at me. He bumped past my shoulder, knocking me backwards a little, punishing me for my past discretions and stormed up the stairs. A few seconds later, I heard the loud slam of his door. I had my work cut out for me with that one.

"Sorry about that..." I said turning back to Tyler. "Teenagers, ay."

Awkward.

"Its fine." he replied, he placed his hand on the door frame. "Despite what your brother thinks, I didn't know you were coming back to town."

"I wanted to surprise everyone." I replied softly, linking my hands together. "Surprise..."

He just nodded.

I wondered if it was ever going to be the same between us.

"Look, I know I have no right to ask this, but could you give Jeremy a break? Not taunt him so much?" I requested, stepping forward and out of the house. Tyler's gaze swept down my pyjamas. He always said my pyjamas were his favourite look. If I could, I'd live in pyjamas. They're my favourite look too. "He's making a lot of bad choices lately and I just want to help him. You know, get him out of this weird place he's gotten himself into."

"You're right, Mia." He pushed off the door. "You have no right to ask."

He turned to walk away, but I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his upper arm, pulling him back to face me. "C'mon Tyler, you can't still hate me." He looked down at my hand on him. "After what happened, I just… I needed to be on my own."

"And now?" He questioned, looking back at me.

"And now you're with Vicki." I let my hand fall from his arm.

"If I wasn't?"

"We've both changed, Ty. I don't even know the Tyler I'm looking at." I wavered my hand down him.

"Whose fault is that?" he asked, backing away from me. He scoffed in disgust, shook his head and walked away.

I sighed, watching him drive off.

Well, that went swimmingly.

"For goodness sake, put some clothes on, girl!" Our neighbour Mrs Junkins scolded me from her front garden.

"I have a name, Mrs Junkins!" I argued passionately and she reared back like I had just threatened her life. I backtracked. "And it's Elena!" I ran back inside. Right, well, I'm going to have to deny that later.

I finished the episode of Catfish we were on - Jeremy was right, it was a woman pretending to be a man and then headed to the kitchen for a snack.

"What the-" I halted, seeing Elena at the kitchen table, with Bonnie no less! Why didn't she get the door!? Talk about lazy! "You've been here this whole time?" I looked between them, they were hunched together like some serious gossip was going down. Needless to say, I dragged out the chair beside Elena and hunched in too. "Are you planning an intervention for Jenna? If so, count me in. I've got a really ugly photo of Logan we could use. Mid sneeze."

"Not Jenna," Bonnie answered. "Caroline." I tried to mask my reaction because if it had something to do with Caroline, it had something to do with Damon. He was playing a sleazy game with us and until I figured out what it was, I needed to tread carefully where he was concerned. "This needs to go in the vault because Caroline will kill me if it gets back to Damon that she squealed." Elena and I both hesitated, looked at each other and then nodded. I'm a bit of blabbermouth so this could be a problem. "Apparently Stefan has a very interesting back story." Wait, Stefan? I thought we were about to hear about Damon! "Do you know what happened to his ex-girlfriend Katherine?"

"I know that they both dated her," Elena replied, thinking about it. "And that's why they have issues."

"Yeah, they both dated her, only she chose Damon," Bonnie revealed and I rested back in my chair unconvinced. Ok, appearance wise, Damon did it for me over Stefan, but personality? There was something so obviously manipulative about Damon and I definitely wouldn't trust him to stay faithful. "And that drove Stefan mad, so he did horrible things to try and break them up. He manipulated Katherine. He filled her head with all these lies until finally it worked and she turned against Damon."

"...That doesn't sound like something my good friend Stefan would do," I put out there, looking to Elena for her thoughts. "Don't you agree?"

"I agree that sounds like one person's side of the story. Aka, Damon's. What I don't agree with is your good friend Stefan?" Elena arched her brow at me.

"Yeah...?" I replied slowly, not knowing what the problem was. "We're good friends, so what?"

"You've known him like a day."

"Rome was built in a day," I pointed out.

"No it wasn't..." Elena said, giving me a peculiar look. Sometimes I get the impression that she thinks I may be weird. "Anyway... Stefan's past relationships are none of my business."

"Unless he's a manipulative, calculating liar." Bonnie shrugged.

"He's not!" Elena protested at the same time I said, "Take that the hell back."

"Trust me," I stressed with the palm of my hand facing Bonnie. "If anyone's a manipulative, calculating liar, it's Damon." This was so obvious to me so I didn't know why it wasn't to Bonnie, or even Caroline. "And I wouldn't believe anything he tells Caroline, he's already been filling her head with lies."

"Like what?" Bonnie asked.

I slapped my hands down on the table, ready to shock them. "Get this right, he said that I hit on him, ha!" I said like it was the most ridiculous thing ever because it was! I didn't even know how to flirt! "As if I would do that to Caroline!"

I waited for either of them to leap to my defence.

A couple of silent seconds passed.

"...Seth Barnes," Elena pointed out.

"Oh my God, I knew you were going to throw him in my face! I knew it! We were ten and I saw him first."

Elena tipped her chair back to reach for the phone on the kitchen counter as it rang. "Hello..." I crossed my fingers. Please don't be Mrs Junkins to snitch on me, please don't be Mrs Junkins. "Oh hi, Mrs Lockwood..." Phew. "What do you mean? It is? Are you sure? Cause I saw it..." Confusion turned to realisation on Elena's face. "Let me check. Mmhm. I will find it and bring it. Ok, bye." Elena stood up, put the phone down and charged out of the kitchen.

"I'm worried about her," Bonnie said as soon as she was gone.

"I know, who just storms out like that?" I agreed.

"I meant about Stefan."

I shook my head a little. "I think you're worried about the wrong friend, Bonnie," I replied, folding my arms under my chest. "Elena is a lot more boy smart than Caroline is. If Stefan is playing a game, it won't take Elena long to catch on. Caroline, on the other hand..." I couldn't shake this feeling that Damon was not to be trusted.

"Ok so you keep an eye on Damon and I'll keep mine on Stefan."

"Or we keep both our eyes on Damon and just respect the hell out of Stefan?" I suggested. She looked at me flatly. "My vibe metre is never wrong."

"...Seth Barnes."

"Oh my god! Ten! I was ten!"

Elena returned with our parent's pocket watch and placed it on the kitchen table. "Jeremy took it," she said, rolling her eyes. "I don't know what he wants me to do, mom promised Mrs Lockwood."

"You could just let him have it." I lifted a shoulder. She looked at me like I was an idiot. I sat up straighter. "Or not." I cleared my throat and pushed out of my chair. "Right, um, ladies, I'm going to go get ready. If my date, Matthew Donovan arrives, please send him up."

"Matt is your date?" Bonnie laughed. "How did you manage that?"

"Emotional blackmail, Bonnie. A lot of emotional blackmail."

I was dumbfounded when Matt said no to escort me to Founder's party tonight. He wanted to bring this girl he met on Tinder instead. She had sent him multiple nudes and this made her date worthy in his mind. So really, he left me no choice but to steal his phone and unmatch with her. He'll thank me one day. Of course that day wasn't anytime soon. I don't know why he was so angry, I had his best intentions at heart!

I was going to make it up to him by blowing Matthew's sock off with my navy blue and gold dress. I pinned my fringe back, added some lip gloss and boom, I was good to go.

"Mia, Matt's here," Bonnie called up the stairs. "And so are Caroline and Damon?"

I rolled my head back and groaned. Oh great. I had completely forgotten that Matt agreed to carpool with them. Idiot! This makes me feel less guilty about deleting the nude girl.

I lifted my dress and headed down the stairs. Matt stood on the other side of the front door with his hands behind his back. He didn't even have a corsage for me or anything.

I draped myself across the doorway. "How do I look?" I smouldered at him.

"Fine, but you better start getting ready. The party starts soon." He checked his watch before grinning at me.

I sucked in my lips. "Matt..." I tapped my heart. "Feelings. If you could just consider them from time to time, that would be great."

"Well you weren't considering my feelings when you unmatched with Katy." He glared at me.

"She was sending you nudes, Matthew, I had to intervene!" I argued. "She would have corrupted you!"

He snorted. "I wanted her too!"

"I've watched a lot of catfish, Matt, it was probably a man," I reasoned. "If you want, Jeremy and I could investigate it for you."

"No."

"We're really good, we have references," I tried to explain.

"C'mon!" Caroline yelled out from the car and pressed down on the horn.

I winced.

"Why on earth did you agree to this?" I asked Matt, unimpressed. Damon was smirking at me from the driver's side and gave me this flirty finger waggle which I didn't return. He was always smirking like there was something going on here that I didn't know about. I didn't trust it. I didn't trust him. Have I mentioned that?

Matt followed my gaze to Damon's car. "Honestly, I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I said no at first, but then I said yes," he said, looking confused. "I don't know why I said yes."

"Nor do I, idiot." I backhanded his chest. I sighed and looked back towards the car. "I'll be two seconds."

"I think you're going to need a lot more than two seconds."

"Matt, would you just-" I stopped and shook my head. "You know what, I was going to apologise for unmatching nude girl, but you can just forget it now." I stomped up the stairs." Absolutely ridiculous," I muttered loud enough for him to hear.

I slowed when I reached the top of the stairs and checked the coast was clear.

I slid up to Jeremy door and tapped lightly.

After a few seconds, the door was pulled open.

"What?"

I guess that was his new greeting style now.

"I'm returning the bird's egg," I said in code, just in case Elena was around.

"...What?"

"Just take it." I tossed him the pocket watch. Jeremy stole it from Elena, Elena took it back from Jeremy and now I had re-stolen it for him. I was a good sister. "You didn't get this from me."

Jeremy turned it over in his hand. "Why?"

"I remember Dad saying it would be yours one day." I shrugged. "So, now it is."

I actually got a smile out of him, even if it was just a small one. "Thanks."

"Again, if Elena says anything-"

"It was all Matt," Jeremy finished for me.

"Exactly." I nodded. Matt was mine and Jeremy's go to person to blame, even when it didn't make sense. Someone split a drink, it was Matt. Someone tried installing Sims onto Elena's laptop and it's froze the whole thing - it was obviously Matt. Someone hacked onto Jenna's Facebook and removed Logan as a friend - Matt.

"See you later." I flicked him a salute.

"Mia?" he called out when I reached the stairs. I looked over my shoulder. "You look really nice."

I half smiled and looked down at me dress. "Thanks. Can you tell Matt this please? He's being very rude."

Caroline pressed down on the horn and this time held it down. I started rushing down the stairs to get her to stop when I heard Mrs Junkins shouting. Needless to say, the honking stopped. What a scary, mean woman.

Matt held out his arm to me and I took it. I also pinched him, but that's neither here nor there.

"Amelia, looking beautiful as always." Damon commented as we approached his car. His gaze brazenly sweeping down me. I glanced over at Caroline who seemed unaffected by Damon's comment to me. I ignored him and scooted in the back with Matt, I could sense Damon's eyes flickering up to look at me through the rear-view mirror, but I refused to acknowledge it and tugged my dress higher up over my cleavage with a hmp.

"Any requests?" Caroline asked, holding up her IPod that was hooked into Damon's sound system.

"Taylor Swift," I answered at the same time Matt replied, "Kanye West."

"Kanye West?" I exclaimed at the same time Matt said in disgust, "Taylor Swift?"

"I don't know who either of those people are but we're not listening to that." Damon pulled out Caroline's device and put on a really old rock and roll radio station. How could he have never heard of Taylor Swift or Kanye West? Had the man been living under a rock?

Hmm, I wonder if Stefan had heard of Taylor Swift. Perhaps I should introduce him to her.

"Urgh, I'm not sure on this dress at all," Caroline commented, looking at herself in Damon's car mirror. "I knew I should have worn the yellow dress, why did you make me wear the blue one?"

"Because I like blue better." I stared down at my blue dress. Oh great. "How you doing back there?" He glanced up into the rear view.

"Fine." Matt answered, sounding just as uncomfortable as I was.

"Amelia?" Damon prompted.

I took in a breath. "Fine." Something just told me I needed to stay away from this man and that was more intense being locked inside a car with him.

"So, are you two together?" Damon asked casually at a stop light.

I looked at Matt, Matt looked at me.

We then both laughed.

"God no!" I let out.

"Alright, don't sound too offended," Matt said to me. I just continued to look disgusted by the very thought.

"Matt and Mia?" Caroline laughed too. "That's like incest."

"Plus she's not my type." Matt grinned.

"Oh really, Matthew? Really?" I crossed my arms, shaking my head. It was obvious Damon had no clue what we were all on about and why this was funny.

"Matt dated Elena." Caroline filled him in. "Mia dated Tyler." And why she decided to slip in that irrelevant piece of information, I'll never know.

"Caroline." I gave her a look. I didn't need Damon knowing my history. He'd probably try and twist it somehow.

"Oh relax, Mia, I still think you two will get back together." Caroline said, turning round in her chair to look at me.

Tyler was a sore subject for me, especially the way Caroline brought him up. She sometimes missed obvious social cues, like now for instance, I was brushing my fingers frantically across my throat, not wanting to give Damon any ammunition on me.

"Vicki told me he called out your name once instead of hers."

"Caroline!" I gestured to her brother sitting right beside me.

"Really?" Matt asked her, with his brows narrowed. "You had say that whilst I'm here?"

I found Damon's eyes in the rear view mirror, looking at me again, but this time, he was no longer smiling.

"Then you might want to block your ears for this next part," Caroline warned him.

"How about we just stick to a conversation we can all enjoy?" I said quickly, trying to fuse the tension. "Like how Taylor Swift has an album coming out soon. Matt, thoughts?"

"I don't care."

"That's because you haven't heard her. Don't worry, I've brought my IPod." I stuck my hand in my clutch and brought it out. I spent the rest of the journey trying to wrestle my ear bud into Matt's ear.

"You're just being really difficult today, Matthew, I'm not impressed," I said to him as we got out of the car.

Caroline in front of us suddenly stopped and I ended up walking into her back.

She frantically twisted round and glanced over her shoulder. "Ok, I'm going to need you to switch dates with me." What?! Oh hell no! She needs to get her own Matthew. Did she not know the trouble I went to to find out Matt's phone's pass code to delete nude girl? "My mom will be ultra critical if she sees me walking in with Damon and I do not want to hear it."

"I have a nosy Aunt of my own, you know," I protested but she still pulled Matt to her side.

Matt looked back at me and I shot him a look that said 'don't do this to me.'

He couldn't have smirked more as he offered Caroline his arm.

Right well I'm unmatching any future hot girls on Matt's tinder account.

We waited in line to get in with Mr and Mrs Lockwood at the doors, greeting everyone as they came in.

"You've got a bit of makeup, right here." Damon scraped a finger across his own neck at me. I lifted my hand up to my throat and wiped. "No, up a bit." I followed his direction. "No... Here." He reached over and slid his two fingers just over my pulse. I stilled as his two fingers applied some pressure there. "Fast," he said eventually, his gaze meeting mine. And then he smirked.

I pulled away. "Is it gone?" I asked.

"No. Come here." He pulled me to him so quick I didn't have a chance to react. His head was dipped into my neck and when I stepped back from him, I bumped into someone.

"Oh sorry, Stefan, didn't see you there," I said, giving him a nod of respect.

"Neither did I," Damon said brightly.

Stefan held Damon's gaze before it landed on me. "You look lovely, Amelia."

"Thanks, Stefan!" I gushed. "That's really nice of you. What a gent." I looked to my twin. "Hello."

"Hi," she said, giving Damon a strange look. "I thought you were coming with Matt."

"I am here with Matt," I quickly got out there. "Caroline just needs to sneak Damon past her mom."

"Right," Stefan replied.

"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" Damon placed his hand on my lower back pointedly and it was then I realised: this had nothing to do with me. This had more to do with Stefan. Damon wanted to piss him off and he was using me to do it. One thing I still didn't get was why didn't he just go for Elena?

I pulled Damon's hand off and moved forward with the queue.

"Amelia, you look smashing," Carol said, kissing my cheek.

"Thanks Mrs Lockwood," I replied. "You too."

"Tyler's around here somewhere, he'll be happy to see you." No he will not.

I moved along as Damon stood in the door. "Come on in," Carol encouraged and so he did.

"Lovely to meet you. I've been looking forward to this party for quite awhile." Even Carol was blushing for goodness sake. Damon smiled down at me and I quickly looked away. He wrapped a hand round my waist and pulled me into his side "Let's get a drink, date," he said into my ear. I caught the look he threw back Stefan's way.

This had to stop.

Caroline pulled Matt over to her mom whilst Damon led me to the bar.

"Ok," I said, turning to face him. Enough is enough. "I know what you're doing."

"I'm sorry?" Damon responded, pulling his best confused look.

"I'm not stupid, I'm not blind, I see the little looks your throwing Stefan whenever you touch me." Damon raised his brows as he waited for me to finish. "I don't know why you hate your brother so much because he seems to me like an absolute gent to me, but stop using me, my sister or Caroline to get at him. Alright?"

"You're right," Damon said to my surprise.

"...I am?"

"My therapist says I'm acting out, trying to punish Stefan and when I do this-" His hand clasped around my waist and brought me into him. "I know it pisses him off." He looked above my head. I followed his gaze and sure enough, there was Stefan, staring worryingly in our direction, but trapped in a conversation with my twin and Mayor Lockwood.

"But why?" Again, I removed his hand. "Why would that bug him?"

"His girlfriend's identical twin. Jeez, I don't know." Even though he was being over sarcastic with me, he shot me a friendly smile.

"What did Stefan ever do to you?" I asked him. I can't believe he's admitting this all to me.

"It's all in the past. I don't even want to bring it up." I folded my arms and did not look impressed. You can't just tell half a story. "Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry."

"Well maybe it's time to break that curse," I suggested.

"Maybe." He put down his drink. "Do you want to get some fresh air?"

"I-" I stopped. My eyes were drawn like a magnet to one idiot who stood straight out to me.

"Oh no," I said, straightening up.

"What?" Damon looked to where I was looking but he couldn't see the rat that I could.

"Absolutely, positively not. I'll be right back."

Jenna saw me approaching before Logan did and stopped talking. "Jenna!" I exclaimed with wide 'don't you dare' eyes. "Hi!" I hugged her and began walking her backwards. "Sorry, Logan, this will just take a second."

Jenna pushed me off. "Back off, I can handle him."

"No you can't!" I turned back to face Logan and linked my arm with Jenna so we were a united front. "Punch him in the face, Jenna, I've got your back."

"Mia." Logan laughed, opening up his arms slightly. "It's good to see you," he said with a big sleazy smile. He tried to kiss my cheek. The audacity! I reared back away from him so he couldn't. I did not want to catch any Logan germs.

"I feared I would see you here," I sneered, completely repulsed.

He winked at me. "You knew it."

"I dreaded," I corrected firmly.

"But were secretly hoping. " He grinned. "You still have that crush on me, I see."

"I've never had a crush on you, you idiot!" I erupted. The man gets under my skin! "You disgust me every way possible!" I insisted.

He laughed like I was joking. I wasn't! I never was!

"You're just like your Aunt, full of insults," he said and I nodded at Jenna with respect. "She's got a lot more in her, I can tell."

Challenge accepted. Jenna's gaze flickered up. "Your hairline's receding."

"Oh... my...God." I clapped my hands. "Good one, Jenna. Good one!"

"No, it's not," he quickly dismissed. "You want to have lunch?"

"Nope," I answered for her.

"I was asking your Aunt," Logan replied with what he thought he was a charming smile.

"Still no," I responded.

Logan ignored me and looked back at Jenna, his gaze sweeping down her. "You haven't changed a bit."

Jenna's grasp on my arm tightened. "Oh yes I have. I'm meaner," she drawled and turned me with her to walk away.

I looked behind me and planted a big L on my forehead at him.

"You were the sass queen!" I cheered, shaking Jenna. "He wasn't expecting that. You need to stay strong, Missy, because that, that was fantastic!" Watching Logan getting blown off - Classic!

"Bathroom, now," Elena said as she passed. She circled her fingers around my wrist and dragged me backwards.

"Stay strong, Jenna!" I called back over to my Aunt, raising my fist in solidarity. I'd wanted to see Logan get owned for so long, it was magical.

Elena sat me and Bonnie down and talked about how she had just argued with Stefan. I left her alone for what, five minutes? I've already become attached to Stefan, I can't go through another break.

And guess who was behind the fight, the one creating Elena's doubt in Stefan? Of course it was Damon.

"Elena, Damon even admitted to me he's acting out at Stefan. You played straight into his hands," I told her. "Go and apologise to Stefan right now."

"But he has a point. What is Stefan hiding?" Elena asked, shaking her head.

"That his brother is a psycho," I answered. "You've been manipulated."

"This is my fault. I planted doubt," Bonnie said with a sigh. "I'm a doubt planter."

Elena exhaled and shook her head. "No.. I..I feel terrible because I said that I wouldn't get in the middle of it and then that's exactly what I did. I got all snotty." Yeah, I could imagine that.

"It's Damon's fault," I said sternly. "I warned him not to mess with us."

"Elena, honey, there you are." Carol came over and sat in the arm chair opposite us. "I noticed the pocket watch still isn't in the collection..."

"It wasn't?"

I deeply cleared my throat. "I'm going to go.. um find Caroline and get my date back," I said, standing up. I smoothed down my dress, swallowed and scuttled away fast. Phew. Escaped that one.

I figured it wouldn't take long for Elena to put two and two together and realise it was me who'd taken the watch so I decided to hide out in the bathroom.

"Oh hey, fancy seeing you here," I said, moving in next to Caroline. I figured now would be a good chance to talk to her about Damon. I just needed to find a way to approach it without sounding like her mom. Hey, maybe I should just tell her mom.

"Look, Caroline, about Damon..."

"I already know what you're going to say."

I sighed with relief. "You do?"

She put her lip gloss back in the tube and turned to me. "You like him."

My face dropped. "What? No, I don't."

"Yes you do and that's ok." Caroline was usually a jealous maniac so this made no sense. She pushed me off the climbing frame for just holding hands with Seth Barnes! "Damon thinks it's cute."

I really don't like this guy.

"I do not fancy, Damon, Caroline," I said, exhaustedly.

"It's fine. We have an open relationship, so if you wanted to-" I leant forward, her scarf was slowly falling from her neck. It slipped a little lower and I noticed this weird, purple mark beginning to show. "What is that?" I tried to lift it up but she suddenly flinched.

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing." I tugged on her scarf to reveal the whole of the bruise; it literally looked like someone had taken a bite out of her.

"Caroline, what the fuck?" I let out, stepping back in shock.

"Did you take the pocket watch?" Elena stormed in but came to a stop, seeing Caroline's neck. "Caroline, what is that on your-"

"What happened?" I demanded. "Did somebody hurt you?"

"No! No it's nothing!" She faced the mirror again to apply her lip gloss, but she noticed me and Elena staring. Like hell we would drop this. She hung her head. "My mom would kill me." Elena stepped forward and pulled her cardigan off revealing another bruise on the back of her shoulder.

I felt sick.

"Was it Damon?" I clipped. By the look on her face, I knew I was right. "Oh my god, Caroline..."

"No!" She lied. "Of course not, just leave me alone, ok!" She snapped and stormed out of the bathroom.

Elena and I stood in silence for a few moments.

Elena lifted her hand. "How did we not see this?"

I was already beating myself up for even thinking that this guy was hot.

"What are we going to do?" I asked Elena.

"I'm going to go speak to Stefan about it."

"Good. And I'll go find the asshole himself." I growled, going to head out of the bathroom.

"No, Mia-" Elena grabbed my arm. "He's dangerous, stay away from him."

Elena gave me a stern look before walking out first.

It made sense. Stay away from him, that's exactly what I was going to do in the first place. But then I saw him. I felt the anger rise back into me and I couldn't just stay away. This asshole needed to know that we were onto him. I would never allow him to hurt Caroline ever again.

When I saw him, he still had that stupid smug smirk on his face, well I was about to wipe it away completely. I charged down to him.

"You look like a woman on a mission." Damon commented until I reached him.

I shoved him as hard as I could. His smirk faded and a look of shock replaced it.

"There is something seriously wrong with you, you stay away from Caroline or I will go straight to her mother, who is the sheriff FYI, so stay away from her." I told him sternly.

I went to walk away, but he grabbed me by my wrists and pulled me to him. I struggled against him, but his grip was firm and wasn't about to let me go anywhere. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I've seen the bite marks on her neck, you're disgusting!" I spat and pulled away. "I don't know who the hell you think you are but if you go near her again I'll-"

"You'll do what?" He stepped up to me.

"Just stay away, find someone else to relieve your sick sexual fantasies."

"Are you volunteering?" He shot at me so I slapped him. His face remained staring off to the side, his jaw clenching.

"Stay away from us. Final warning."

I was shaking by the time I got back inside the house. I desperately needed a drink. All high students were allowed one glass because we were all under the supervision of our guardians.

It was time to cash in that drink.

I put my clutch on the bar and opened my mouth to order a drink.

"Don't shoot. I only need a refill," Logan joked from beside me. If I had known he was at the bar, I would have risked dehydration.

"Logan," I started, holding the palm of my hand up to him. "I am in no mood."

He chuckled. "You know, I've missed your family," he said, scooting closer to me. Not one member of my family liked Logan. Not a single one.

"The feelings not mutual," I replied dismissively. "We like Jenna's new boyfriend now."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend," Logan said knowingly.

I squinted my eyes at him. "She does actually." He raised his brows, unconvinced. "She does..." I insisted and he smiled. "You're a piece of work, you know that."

"You mean art work?" He grinned.

"No, Logan, I mean work. Work that nobody wants to do," I said firmly.

"Your Aunt does," he quipped. How crude!

"Um, no she doesn't. She's now with.. Leonardo-" Don't say Decaprio. "Decap...ton and she's very, very happy," I said adamantly.

"Leonardo Decapton?" Logan parroted with a mocking smile.

Jesus, why do I even attempt to lie?

"Yeah, he's a motivational speaker, he's really cool, and he brought me and Jeremy a trampoline-"

"She's agreed to have lunch with me," he cut me off and looked absolutely thrilled to tell me this.

I scoffed. "Well that's a lie."

He flashed his too white teeth, almost blinding me. "No it's not." He leant towards me. "You might as well start calling me Uncle Logan now."

"I will never...!"

He continued to laugh at me so I scowled, grabbed my clutch and tried to storm off.

"Wait, Mia!"

"What!" I spun round, really wanting this stupid day to be over with.

He looked to his left and he looked to his right.

He then put his middle finger up at me.

As quickly as it was up, it was down.

I stared at him open mouthed. Unable to move. Completely gobsmacked.

"No one will believe you," he said. He finished his drink, winked and then walked away.

I stood there, frozen to the bone.

Did he just...

The middle finger...?

Oh hell to the no!

"Sup." Matt came back over to me. "Um, Mia?" He waved a hand in front of my face.

"Matt." I put my hand on his shoulder, struggling to stay upright. "Matt, Logan just gave me the middle finger," I said adamantly. "Tell me you saw it."

Matt scoffed. "Yeah, right, Mia."

Oh no. Logan was right. "I need to find Jeremy," I said, shaking my head desperately. "He'll believe me!"

I walked out the house, looking for Elena or even Jenna. As I scanned around, I saw Caroline standing on her own, in the Lockwood's garden.

"Caroline, you'll never believe what just happened to me..." I said, walking up to her. I hoped she wasn't still upset with me. I'd like to think if the shoe were on the other foot, she'd be just as angry as I was. She turned around and looked as white as a ghost. "Are you ok?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice was all shaky.

"Caroline... what happened?" Her breathing got incredibly fast, her chest rising and falling.

"I'm fine... I'm fine."

"No. You're not." I put my hand on her shoulders. "Hey, calm down, it's ok. Caroline..." She was physically shaking all over. I'd never seen Caroline like this. Ever. "It's all going to be ok," I told her, but she just burst into tears.

So yeah, Damon was a dead man.

* * *

 **Thank you for all your nice comments, they really mean a lot!**

 **LivHardy x**


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